


A Close Thing

by Mizor4



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2019-10-08 11:42:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17385830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizor4/pseuds/Mizor4
Summary: Simonne, daughter and apprentice of a respected healer, is left alone and with few options when an injured visitor arrives in the night.





	1. A Bump In the Night

Simi sat at a small desk and poured over one of her mother's well-penned journals, the tight, orderly script fine enough for any library, though the pages were hastily sewn instead of bound. This particular entry detailed a fever, the boy's throat so swollen he couldn't eat, and the steps her mother took to cure him.

Simi had read the pages before, but her mother reviewed this account before leaving for the nearby village currently plagued by a similar outbreak. Simi wanted to help, but someone needed to stay with the house, so her mother said. On the other hand, no one would chastise her for wasting candles instead of sweating in front of the hearth for light so she could read late into the night.

A loud, heavy thump against the door made Simi jump, almost sending the candle toppling onto the journals scattered about the cramped desk and turning years of work to ash. She froze, heart racing and breath held, straining to hear any other noise that might indicate what lurked outside. They had no neighbors who would visit at this hour without desperate need of a healer.

"M-Mother?"

Nobody responded. Simi rose slowly, light on her feet to make as little noise as possible. She snatched her belt-knife from the table beside the door and retreated, gripping the small blade so hard her hand trembled. Something scratched at the door – claws, not fingers. Large claws by the sound they made, slow and rasping against the wood. Simi stood utterly still, her mind constructing the monster waiting just on the other side of a thin piece of wood – waiting for her. Then it stopped. Fire crackled merrily in the hearth.

After seconds or centuries, Simi crept towards the small window high on the wall that overlooked the front steps and rose onto her toes. Evening's fading light obscured any details, but not the inky trail leading up the porch steps. Few things left a trail like blood, and Simi had seen plenty of blood working with her mother. Anyone who lost that much rarely survived. An attack, or an accident perhaps? A bad accident. Surely they would have called out for help if they could make it to the door.

"Hello?" Again, no response. Her heart pounded. The knife hilt dug painfully against her palm, but could she wait while someone died on her mother's steps, slowly bleeding out? No matter what waited outside, she wouldn't.

The door's latch trembled in Simi's hand, but something pressed against the door, causing the latch to bind. Something indeed waited for her. With a shove, the latch clicked free, and the door swung inwards.

Simi would have gasped, but her chest squeezed the noise to a quiet gurgle. She stumbled backwards, almost slicing her face with the belt knife before catching herself against the wall. Through the door, an unmoving and decidedly inhuman creature slumped through the doorway and lay motionless.

While obviously a pokemon – monsters didn't really exist, probably – Simi had never seen anything like it. A crimson mane spilled from the top and back of a narrow head, dark gray fur intermixed with stunning red accents about the mouth, ears, and eyes. The pokemon had a lithe body, far smaller than she imagined, likely similar in height to herself. A thick tuft of fur covered its chest, the rest of its body a dark grey like wet ash. A trio of claws as long as her finger and blood red crowned each limb.

It didn’t take long to find the source of its injuries. A mess of fur, blood, and shadow hid the pokemon's wounds, but its right leg didn't look good. The pokemon didn't move. Neither did Simi.

She had never been so close to a pokemon before and knew even less about them, other than you probably didn't want an untamed one in your house. What if it woke? From the amount of blood that already stained the bare wood floor, she might not have to worry. She wasn't nearly as good at stitching flesh as her mother.

“Panic helped no one.” Her mother would gently remind her when she froze up in front of an injury. Plan, prepare, perform. She had to try, and she couldn't do that with it laying in the doorway. Carefully, Simi knelt, and a surreptitious glance indicated a male. Simi gently reached towards the thick soft fur covering his forearm. He limp arm felt warm despite the blood loss, and when he didn't stir, Simi firmly grabbed his wrist.

"Sorry," she whispered, and unceremoniously dragged the surprisingly heavy pokemon towards the hearth where she could see better. Blood smeared across the wood floor. She rummaged for supplies and every candle she could find, placing them around the pokemon like she were about to perform some occult ritual.

After scrubbing her hands and heating water, Simi settled herself beside the pokemon and examined his wounds. Blood and matted fur created a sticky mess that would make treatment difficult, and fresh blood continued to ooze onto her fingers. It looked bad, like something very large tried to chew through his leg, bone and all, and almost succeeded. Simi deeply hoped whatever caused the injury hadn't followed.

The bone didn't feel broken, but his skin hung in tatters, leaving ripped muscle bare and bloody. She had seen her mother amputate less serious injuries. Simi couldn't. Even if it were the best option, she didn't trust herself not to kill him outright performing an operation like that alone.

Jagged, messy cuts covered his leg from below the knee down, some almost to the bone. Simi cleaned and sewed where she could, but sections along his calf – Simi couldn't fathom where to even begin. The delicate work took time, her fingers slow compared to her mother's precise speed, and one thing the pokemon surely didn't have was time. Eventually she couldn't even find two scraps to sew together, and instead applied an ointment to ward off infection and wrapped his leg as best she could in thick bandages, hopefully tight enough to stop the bleeding.

Two of the candles had guttered by the time she finished, the floor around her looking like that of a slaughterhouse, and she couldn't say whether any of her efforts helped. He breathed laboriously, a soft hiss through his long snout, but didn't make a sound otherwise. You can't hurt the dead, her mother would have said. Her mother could have done so much more.

Simi leaned back against the wall and let out a great sigh. Her knees ached and back felt tight from hunching over her patient. Night fell completely some time ago. Only the hearth and a solitary candle provided any light, casting a distorted silhouette of the strange creature across the kitchen.

It would take a proper scrubbing to remove the red stains from her skin. Simi let her eyes drift closed, just for a moment. She took deep, slow breaths, trying to ignore the metallic tang thick in the air, to not criticize each suture, each bandage, each rushed decision. If only for a moment.


	2. Awake

Simi jerked awake. Pale pre-dawn light glowed softly from the windows. Sitting on the floor had not proven terribly restful, but she barely noticed her stiff muscles and sore butt. Her eyes immediately went to the motionless lump of gray, black, and red fur, sprawled where she left him. Even so, her arm wavered slightly, imagining him waking up in a panic, but she had to check. Simi placed a hand in front of the pokemon's angular snout, and shallow breaths tickled her skin. He still lived.

Small spots of blood had soaked through the bandages overnight but not enough to worry her. What she wouldn’t give for another hour or two of sleep, in a bed, but she pushed the thought away and instead stoked the hearth to a gentle crackle and set water to boil.

She also tried not to think about what would happen when an injured pokemon, whose state of mind the creator alone knew, woke. Hopefully he'd be too weak to jump up and pull out his stitches – or attack her. After scrubbing her arms with soap and hot water, she returned to her patient's side and sat.

Simi spoke softly. "Hello?" She tried again, louder, but the pokemon didn't so much as twitch. Gently, she touched the top of his snout. Short velvety fur covered his muzzle, and small red markings she hadn't noticed the previous night ran from each nostril. Even sprawled on the floor in such a state did little to take away from the creature's majesty. He was beautiful, lithe and muscular, graceful and deadly.

"Hello?" Simi gave his snout a hesitant pat. The idea of placing her fingers closer to the pokemon's jaws made her uneasy, but he needed to at least drink something. With no response, Simi attempted to pry open his mouth. His jaws stuck, lips sticky with thirst. Simi used a strip of cloth to pull his lower jaw open rather than placing her fingers between his serrated teeth.

The bowl beside her contained cool fresh water mixed with honey. Simi soaked a cloth in it and slowly squeezed a few drops at a time into his mouth, pausing to stroke his throat until she was sure he wouldn't choke. After the first few mouthfuls, his jaws seemed to relax, and he began to swallow on his own, the first voluntary motion she'd seen from him.

It took time and patience, but Simi found the motions therapeutic, easy to let her thoughts drift and for all of this to turn out all right, for a quick recovery, and for her mother not to return and find Simi half eaten. How many humans could say they saved a wild pokemon? Surely her mother hadn't, it would have been far too interesting a story not to tell.

Simi let her cloth absorb more of the honeyed water, then turned to find a set of impossibly blue eyes staring back at her. Water dripped unnoticed onto the ground between them. The pokemon's fur raised, making him puff up slightly. She could see tension working into his weak muscles, a hint at the toned power masked by fur. His eyes never wavered, never blinked, but glimmered in the firelight.

Simi made a hushing sound and slowly placed the cloth in the bowl's edge, each motion slow and as non-threatening as she could make them. "You're okay. You were hurt. I-I helped you." She spoke slow and clear, hoping that if nothing else her voice would help calm him, show she wasn't a threat. Hesitantly, and with a hand that held far steadier than she felt, Simi reached towards him.

A low growl rumbled from the pokemon's chest and white fangs flashed between the dark fur of his muzzle, bloody red markings a grim warning. Simi tried not to flinch and didn't draw back. His eyes, for the briefest moment, flicked towards her fingers before returning to her face. She continued to extend her open palm, slowly until her hand gently rest against his cheek.

"It's okay. Try not to move your leg. It needs to heal." Simi stroked his face, and to her astonishment, he quieted, fur deflating slightly, though his eyes remained sharp and alert, ready for quick violence, the tension still held in his limbs.

"You're safe here. My name is Simi." Her hand moved from his cheek to smooth his deep red mane, slashed with black and gray accents. "I've never seen a pokemon like you before. I don't know to call you." She had no idea if he understood a word she said, but focusing on calming him helped her ignore the fact that he wouldn't need to move his leg for those finger-long claws to rip into her.

Red fur outlined his parted lips like a recent, bloody meal, but he didn't make a sound. After another minute stroking his head, his eyes drooped shut. He seemed to fight to keep them open, but they eventually slipped closed, his breath slowing as well. Simi quickly checked his bandages and rose, letting him sleep undisturbed.

Without a wild pokemon staring at her like she were a meal, her own weariness returned in earnest, but it might be a good idea to have something for the pokemon to eat when he woke again. While she had no idea what pokemon ate, his saw-blade teeth gave her a clue, and she fetched a chunk of salted beef from the cellar. Even with her mother's respectable income, meat was a luxury, but Simi desperately wanted to avoid finding herself as a hungry pokemon's meal.

Some hours later, fading twilight replaced a pleasantly clear day Simi hadn't more than glimpsed through the window. Simi had cleaned up a good deal of the mess from last night, though the front steps still needed a good scrub. A hearty stew simmered at the edge of the hearth, filling the small house with a warm and savory aroma. She dipped a spoon into the bubbling pot to taste it when a rasping voice broke the silence.

"Human."

Simi jumped, the spoon in her hand falling into the pot, softly clinking off the rim. She spun to find the pokemon's cold blue eyes watching her intently. Of course pokemon in stories could always talk, but she never expected it to be true.

Zoroark whined almost too soft to hear. "Water?" It wasn't quite a question, more a quiet plea. Simi filled a small wooden bowl before she could worry about the proximity to his large blood-red claws.

"Don't move your leg," she instructed, "but can you sit up?" Simi placed a hand gently under his shoulder and helped him rise up onto an elbow. A pained growl rumbled through his grit teeth from the effort.

Simi held the bowl out, and the pokemon lapped voraciously at the cool water, spilling almost as much as he drank. Water dripped from his snout, and he panted heavily after nearly emptying the bowl.

Simi placed the bowl aside. "Do you have a name?" The pokemon studied her face, and Simi didn't push him while he caught his breath.

Firelight danced in his large glossy eyes. "Zoroark do not have names." Despite his obvious exhaustion and gravely voice, he spoke clearly enough that Simi easily understood him.

"Zoroark," Simi repeated to herself. She had never heard of such a pokemon before, not even by description. "Do you think you can move? The bed will be more comfortable. I can help you up." She tentatively offered her hand. While Zoroark didn't take any initiative, he didn't protest when Simi moved closer.

"Keep your injured leg straight, if you can. Try not to use it." Simi placed one hand under his arm and used the other to support his back.

Despite a powerfully lithe appearance, it took a concerted effort to get Zoroark to his feet. The angled set of his legs made it awkward to lift him off his back, and his movements felt weak, wavering once they stood and almost bringing the pair of them to the ground. He snapped his teeth at her from the jolt, but Simi held firm, and they managed the three paces to Simi's bed.

"Are you hungry?" Simi asked once she settled Zoroark onto the mattress, his back propped against the wall. He gave her a searching look before nodding sheepishly, an eager hunger plain in his eyes.

Simi returned to the kitchen and prepared two bowls of stew, lightly seasoned as she had no idea what a pokemon would find palatable. The small cubes of meat nearly fell apart when she tested one with the edge of a spoon.

Either Zoroark was starving or didn't care what he ate, because Simi barely handed him the bowl before thick gravy covered his chin. He swallowed the meat and diced root vegetables, barely slowing to chew or breathe.

Simi couldn't help but smile at his sudden enthusiasm, despite a slight worry he might choke. Hunger was a good sign in a patient, and though her own stomach rumbled, Simi barely managed more than a few bites before Zoroark licked at the bottom of a nearly clean bowl with a long thin tongue that rasped softly against the wood. At least pokemon enjoyed her cooking.

"More?" Simi asked.

Zoroark gave the bowl few more licks before hesitantly offering it up. He attacked his seconds with nearly the same ferocity.

Simi found herself transfixed by the surreal sight of watching a pokemon eat from a bowl inside her home. Every now and again his eye would flick towards her, possibly to make sure she didn't try anything nefarious, or maybe just to reassure himself she hadn't disappeared. And hopefully not as desert.

Eventually the two of them finished up their quiet meal. Zoroark attempted to lick the thick broth from his lips and snout with questionable success.

Simi giggled. "Let me help." She waited for Zoroark to turn to her, still wary of those glistening fangs, before wetting a clean cloth and wiping stew remnants from his velvety fur. It took a bit of work to get everything that had soaked down to his hide, but he held reasonably still and didn't try to bite her.

"I'm going to have to change your bandages. It might hurt." It would definitely hurt. She hadn't managed to clean all the blood last night, and she didn't look forward to untangling his matted, gory fur. Zoroark didn't say anything and simply watched, large blue eyes following her about as she gathered supplies.

The first few layers peeled away easily enough, but those beneath tugged and caught. Simi worked meticulously, careful not to reopen any of his wounds, of which he had plenty. The worst of it required her mother's surgical knife, a slim blade honed to a razor edge. She'd have to resharpen it later, but it easily cut through the worst of matted fur and bandage, though she worked slow as it would cut through even Zoroark's thick hide just as easily.

A range of low rumbles vibrated from Zoroark's chest, deep and menacing, though he remained still, and Simi made soft hushing noises while she worked, almost as much for her own sake as his. While it still looked bad, shiny new flesh filled in all of the lesser wounds, and even some of the deeper tears looked well on their way to healing. She couldn't find any sign of infection, and while he felt warm, his leg didn't feel feverish, not that she had any real reference. It would scar, badly, but no human would dare hope for such a quick recovery.

Zoroark spoke, initiating conversation for the first time, his voice low and as if he rarely spoke. He almost seemed hesitant. "Why did you save me?"

Simi didn't look up. She could feel his eyes on her. Her hands spread a stinging ointment over his wounds with a gentle, practiced efficiency.

"I couldn't watch you die when I could help. I honestly didn't think you'd make it." Simi began rewinding bandages around the entire lower half of his leg to the ankle. He had a few superficial scratches on his foot but those didn't need her attention.

"How did you know to come here? I can't imagine many pokemon know my mother."

Zoroark shrugged. "Humans do strange things. I didn't want to die." He stared at his leg as Simi finished her work, a question clearly perched on the tip of his tongue. Simi waited, but Zoroark never voiced the thought.

"What happened?" Simi asked.

Zoroark rubbed the thigh of his injured leg, letting large claws furrow his gray coat. "Something human – great metal jaws. They weren't alive, but they attacked. I don't know."

Simi almost inquired further, but she didn't like the dark expression growing in his eyes. A surprisingly human demeanor made it easy to forget his angular, predatory features and large claws that clearly weren't meant for foraging, and a deadly grace only slightly overshadowed by vulnerability.

"You've spent time around humans?"

"Some." Zoroark glanced towards the two empty bowls. "Humans often leave food about."

Simi somehow doubted people just left food lying around, even in the larger cities, but she didn't argue. Zoroark's wide mouth stretched in a fearsome yawn that displayed a full count of razor-like fangs, and Simi could feel her full belly beckoning for sleep as well.

She reached a hand towards him, and Zoroark's full attention snapped to her. Simi faltered only a moment, reassuring herself he wouldn't tear her arm off, probably, and lay her palm gently on the top of his snout, giving him an affection rub.

"Get some rest," she said. Zoroark's eyes closed for a brief moment. The small gesture felt surprisingly friendly, like he started to trust her. Or maybe her tired mind wanted to think that, knowing she would be sleeping one room away from a wild pokemon. Zoroark said nothing more, and Simi retreated to her mother's soft bed to finally get some real sleep.


	3. In the Light

Late morning sunlight shone through the window by the time Simi woke, feeling perfectly well rested, a pleasant change from the day before. She pulled a plain burgundy dress over her shift and made the short journey to her own room.

Zoroark sat with his back propped up against the wall. His intense gaze waited for her to turn the corner, and she wondered how well his large pointed ears could hear.

Simi smiled. "Good morning." Zoroark didn't return the greeting, but she didn't hold it against him.

"Feeling okay?" she asked, to which he simply nodded. Good enough she supposed and ducked into the kitchen for a quick breakfast.

The stew, which she left on the edge of the hearth last night, had cooked down to a meat flavored porridge. The last of an only-slightly stale loaf of bread rounded out the meal. She brought the food to Zoroark and took a seat at the foot of the bed.

Simi poked at her own food, though found little interest in it. "If you're feeling up to it, I was thinking maybe we could spend some time outside."

Zoroark's ears perked up and he gave the window a quick glance. "Yes." His claws clearly weren't designed to manipulate something as small as a piece of bread, and Simi watched his efforts while trying to hide an amused grin.

Striking black and red fur mixed with his surprisingly human mannerisms made him seem straight from a story, though she were no princess. She knew woefully little about pokemon, but even stories made it seem that nobles, with all their wealth, struggled to keep them. Most joined heroic knights, or existed as monsters who lurked after nightfall waiting to eat children.

Zoroark attacked his food, only making a small mess of himself before turning his cold blue eyes on Simi. She couldn't read his angular features, but she found herself growing more confident he wouldn't do something unpredictable, like eat her.

After clearing their dishes, Simi returned to the bed. "Try not to move your leg too much, and let me know if anything hurts, okay?"

Zoroark nodded and Simi had to rush in to offer her support before he leaped from the bed on his own. Large red claws bit into her shoulder, making her wince, but once on his feet, Zoroark held most of his own weight, only using her for balance.

Already he moved easily, and any human who recovered half as quickly would count themselves blessed. Simi acted like a crutch, and besides a little awkward shuffling to make it through the door, the two of them made it easily down the steps and into a small meadow on the far side of the house. Small white flowers scattered through the thick grass, which after the heavy rains of the previous week, the plump blades stood almost up to Simi's knees.

Zoroark breathed deeply before unceremoniously dragging the pair of them to the ground. They landed heavily in the soft grass. Simi grunted.

"Be careful!" Simi admonished, but Zoroark merely stretched, his fluffy chest arched forward and claws extended overhead. She couldn't help but admire the curios pokemon, his red facial markings all the more vibrant under the warm early-afternoon sunlight.

The past few days had been stressful, and Simi hadn't realized the tension lurking in her shoulders until she followed Zoroark's lead and let herself relax amidst soft grasses and blooming wildflowers. The air smelled crisp and sweet as only a cloudless spring morning could, the sunlight's warmth balanced by a lazy breeze.

Despite feeling well rested, Simi quickly found herself drifting off to sleep once again, but Zoroark's gruff voice pulled her from her reverie. She looked up to find Zoroark sitting with his injured leg stretched out before him.

Zoroark carefully rubbed at his bandages. "When will I be healed?"

"Is it hard, staying cooped up?" Simi's heart nearly broke when Zoroark nodded.

"I don't know." Simi tried to sound encouraging. "You've healed much quicker than any human would. I can probably take the bandages off in a day or two."

"And I will be fixed?"

"Well, probably not. It will take time to regain strength in your leg. You'll probably never run," and at the darkening expression on his face she quickly added, "as well as you used to. B-But I don't know for sure. Maybe you'll be back to normal in a few days." Hopefully Zoroark didn't recognize the doubt in her voice.

Simi lay a hand comfortingly on his arm, and while she felt the muscle tense at her touch, Zoroark didn't pull away. Silky fur poked between her fingers, and she slowly ran her hand up the length of his arm, ruffling his coat before smoothing it back down. "You'll be safe here until we figure it out, okay?"

Zoroark glared at his injured leg.

"You've been around humans before, haven't you?" Simi asked in an attempt to pull attention away from his injury.

Zoroark's expression didn't change, but he answered, voice low and gravelly. "I never let them see me. Sometimes I go to their cities. Humans often leave food about."

Simi doubted that people, even in the larger cities, simply left food lying around but didn't argue. "How did you find me?"

He shrugged and didn't meet her eyes, his voice even harsher than normal. "I thought a human would make it quick."

Gods, how was she so bad at this? Simi bit her lip and tried to think of something that wouldn't immediately come back to Zoroark's injury. She hoped this afternoon would lift his spirits a bit, distract him from asking too many questions about how he might heal. Mother always discussed recovery with patients, and Simi started to understand why her mother remained so detached, just short of cruel. Hiding the truth felt just as bad as lying, and it made her feel so utterly helpless that this was the best she could do. Zoroark deserved the truth of it, but Simi couldn't bring herself to explain.

"It must be intimidating visiting the city. I usually feel overwhelmed when Mother brings me. I can't imagine going there alone and being-" She waved vaguely in his direction, not quite sure how to articulate his pokemon-ness, but Zoroark seemed to understand and blessedly ignored the jarring change in topic.

"I have never seen any giant humans, but you turn mountains into-" Zoroark gestured at the house behind them. "Many strange things. Large things."

"It's hard to think no one would notice you, even at night. You're quite striking." She grinned at him. But as soon as the words left Simi's mouth, Zoroark turned to her, sharp blue eyes glittering, and vanished. Simi gaped. He hadn't jumped up, or ran, but simply disappeared in the space of a blink.

"Zoroark?" Simi reached towards the space he had been, and she jumped when her hands brushed something warm and fuzzy. Then Zoroark sat where he had been as if he hadn't moved a breath.

He grinned, clearly quite impressed with himself, pearly fangs agleam in the sunlight. "All Zoroark can do this." He gestured to the house, and that too disappeared as if nothing but the meadow had ever existed here.

Simi began to protest but just as he had, the house soundlessly popped back into existence, undamaged, unchanged. She found herself breathless. "Incredible! You can make anything disappear?"

The next moment, a dozen or more Zoroark strolled through the meadow around them, seemingly ignorant of where she and her injured Zoroark sat. They slowly wandered about, one Zoroark chasing after a leaf blowing through the air on an unfelt breeze while two others took playful swipes at one another. Then they too vanished to smoke. Simi found herself speechless.

Zoroark chuckled, clearly enjoying his little game. "Humans do not see Zoroark."

Simi's eyes went wide. "Zoroark are everywhere? All around us?"

Another Zoroark, only one this time, popped into existence in front of Simi. His eyes glittered, just as vividly blue, starkly outlined in red fur. He held out a hand, claws extended towards Simi as if offering to help her up. Hesitantly, Simi reached to take his hand, but her fingers passed through his claws, and the Zoroark curled into smoke before vanishing to nothing. They had looked as real as the Zoroark still sitting beside her. She could still see the sparring Zoroark's mane whipping about, a swirl of red and black, casting wild shadows on the grass. 

"Illusion," Zoroark said, his rough voice tinged with mirth. Then the pair of them sat at the edge of a lake, large enough that tiny rippling waves lapped at the pebbly beach. The trees at the far edge of the lake changed too, greener with more gnarled branches that reached low over the water, though Simi couldn't identify them at this distance. She probably couldn't make it across, not that she had ever been a strong swimmer. Simi had unconsciously taken hold of Zoroark's arm.

It took effort to string three words together intelligibly. "It's amazing! Beautiful!" Simi almost ran towards the water's edge. Despite what Zoroark said, it looked too real to not exist.

The two of them sat in silence for a long while. Simi marveled at the lake Zoroark created just for her. And even though the small glassy waves captured most of her focus, Zoroark seemed to enjoy her awed reaction. She glanced at his fearsome smile when she thought he wasn't looking.

Zoroark glanced curiously at Simi as if remembering something. "Can humans not do something similar? I have seen your kind with may different colors and shapes of-" Zoroark hesitantly touched Simi's arm, or rather the cloth sleeve of her dress.

"Not even close." Simi laughed, though her thoughts still swirled at the marvel before her, possibly something no other human had ever seen. Surely something like this would have made it into stories.

"We don't really have fur, so we wear clothes instead." She pushed her sleeve up a few inches to reveal the pale skin beneath. "We can take them off and wear something else to change our appearance. Far less impressive."

Zoroark tilted his head, as if seeing her for the first time. "Can I see?"

The blunt request took her so off guard it took a moment to realize what he asked. Simi spluttered. "I um, well it's- People don't, I mean-" A colorful heat spread to her cheeks. "Humans don't usually let others see them naked," she finally managed.

The top of Zoroark's snout scrunched in confusion. "Never?"

"It's complicated," she mumbled, too taken aback to explain more elegantly.

Simi tried to compose herself, but Zoroark only seemed more intrigued, and she could feel his eyes roam across her body, her neck, her ankles. Curiosity burned in his eyes, and despite her embarrassment, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.

He had shown her something truly miraculous, and all he asked in return was to see a scrawny peasant-girl naked. It didn't seem fair to deny him his curiosity. The color in her face rivaled that of Zoroark's claws, and she tried to stop stuttering like a child caught stealing sweets.

"I-If you're really interested, I-I guess I could- Maybe." What could be the harm in showing a pokemon? Clothing probably seemed a strange concept to him. His own nudity clearly didn't bother him, lush coat or not, it didn't hide everything – a fact Simi desperately tried not to think about right now.

Zoroark's face lit up, but his eager gaze didn't make it any easier for Simi. Sweat tickled her brow, and she clutched the cuff of her sleeves to stop her fingers from shaking.

"Y-You can make it so no one else could see us, right?" She gestured wildly around them. "Make us disappear? Like the house?" Their nearest neighbor lived a good hour's walk away, but they did occasionally have someone call on her mother. Simi knew she was stalling.

"No one will see us," Zoroark replied solemnly.

A quiet, hysterical giggle bubbled from her lips, but Simi forced herself to stand. She had to turn away from Zoroark's inquisitive eyes before she managed to relax the grip on her sleeves, and after a few shuddering breaths, Simi reached down and began to pull her burgundy dress up and over her head.

Cool morning air curled up her thighs and rippled the hem of her thin white shift. Sunlight fell warm on her nearly bare shoulders, and had she not felt Zoroark's eyes on her back like a hovering brand, it might have felt liberating.

The light cotton shift felt a hundred pounds as she lifted it, leaving herself bare to the world. The light fabric fluttered to the ground beside her discarded dress, and Simi instinctively huddled in on herself, knees lightly trembling together, and her arms pulled tightly across her modest breasts.

She took two deep breaths, all too aware of the heat in her cheeks, and she turned to Zoroark. Her pale skin shone in the sunlight. Simi attempted to meet Zoroark's eyes but found herself unable and instead examined the ground near his feet.

Zoroark watched as if trying to memorize every minute detail before him. "Zoroark females do not have such different features. You should not wear clothes more often."

Simi tried to blush harder but well and truly couldn't. A soft breeze set her light brown hair aflutter, tickling her shoulders. She shuddered, but Zoroark's innocent wonder started to ease her frantic nerves.

"I-It's a complicated subject-" Simi began, but yelped when Zoroark tried to stand. "You'll pull your stitches!" Simi quickly knelt to place a restraining hand on his shoulder before realizing how close it placed her, his uninjured thigh between her knees in the soft grass, and how uncovered she left herself.

Simi never quite filled out like some of the other girls her age, but Zoroark appeared engrossed nonetheless. After a moment of letting the shock numb her, Simi slowly let her other arm fall away, fully offering herself to Zoroark's curious inspection.

Before Simi realized what was happening, Zoroark reach out and cupped her left breast in one of his great paws. His paw pad felt like old polished softwood, smooth yet nicked and roughed in places from wear. Simi didn't breath, her mouth open but too shocked to speak or so much as twitch. Zoroark's touch gently followed the curve of her body, each imperfection of his paw pad a spark through her chest. Claws trailed a painless trio of light red lines down the top half of her breast before Simi caught his wrist in trembling fingers.

Zoroark looked up, honest concern in his eyes. "Did I do something wrong?" He pulled his claws away, but Simi didn't release his wrist. She found herself lost in his blue eyes, and it took her a moment to reply.

Simi managed to speak, though barely, her voice small. "No but- It's a very intimate place to touch – for humans." Her bare chest rose and fell heavily, heart pounding loud enough Zoroark surely heard its frantic beat.

"So, I should not have?" For once he was the one to sound apprehensive. His eyes glittered with curiosity, such beautiful blue eyes.

Gods, what was she even doing, and how had she let this get so far out of hand? And why did she feel more giddy than anything else, like sparks thrown by green wood in a bonfire danced within her belly? Simi's voice came out barely more than a whisper. "Y-You can. If you want to." Her fingers still gripped Zoroark's wrist tight, his own hand far steadier than hers. She clung to that confidence as if she could borrow it from him, because she was about to do something the rational part of her mind considered needlessly foolish, to put lightly.

When Zoroark didn't move, Simi slowly guided his palm to her chest and ever so slightly leaned into him. Zoroark pressed back, his palm testing the supple give of her breast. His other hand curled around her, claws resting on her back just beside her spine.

Simi grew very still, not out of fear, but at the wonderful mix of sensation her mind didn't quite know how to process. It was like tasting chocolate for the first time, yet so much more, not merely some physical novelty. Chocolate couldn't rend flesh, couldn't bite, pick her up and toss her like a doll. Zoroark could, but didn't. He returned her trust with such remarkable gentleness and care – a wild pokemon, tender as any storybook prince.

A sharp intake of breath hissed between Simi's teeth. Zoroark leaned close, his nose tickling the fine hairs along her collarbone without actually touching her skin. He sniffed lightly, the cool air sending shivers down her spine before he exhaled, breath nearly hot enough to scorch her, or so it felt.

He explored lower, the hand on her back drawing her other breast towards his inquisitiv snout. His tongue felt rough and tacky against her delicate skin. Simi whimpered, a soft sound unlike any she had made in her life up to this point. Her fingers tightened on Zoroark's wrist, and she pulled as if to draw his paw through her pounding heart.

It felt electric, wonderful and momentous and raw. Each lick sent a minute ripple through her breast that reverberated her entire chest, down into her belly, resonating, compounding into some wild, primal tempest.

The stiff spring of her nipple drew Zoroark's curiosity, and the feeling of his tongue forced Simi's eyes shut. The heat and growing tightness in her chest stilled her breath, only allowing small, pleasured chirps from her lips. The feeling so completely held her, she didn't notice when Zoroark stopped.

He spoke in an offhand, conversational tone. "Your scent is different."

Before she had the presence of mind to parse his words, Zoroark's snout dipped almost to her navel. Simi let out a strangled yelp. Moving on instinct more than any conscious intent, Simi snatched his long muzzle with one hand and yanked his head back to eye level with her.

"Y-You shouldn't talk about how a girl smells," she blurted out. She hadn't realized how ragged her breathing had grown, and her whole body trembled in a not at all unpleasant way.

Simi gently but firmly led Zoroark by the grip on his snout to lay back in the grass. His eyes twinkled up at her, but he didn't resist or argue. Simi looked away, still not sure if she dared trust herself at the moment, thoughts leaping between shock at what might have happened, and the not inconsequential part of her mind that burned to know what Zoroark would have done had she not interceded.

Words spilled out of her mouth, anything to fill the silence. "Isn't it wonderful out today? The lake is so beautiful! Or clouds, those are nice too!" The clear sky stretched endlessly blue overhead without a wisp of white in sight. Simi lay in the grass beside Zoroark, each blade a soft line pressed into her bare skin. She couldn't help herself from lying quite close to Zoroark, not quite cuddling, exactly. At least that's what she told herself, head resting on his downy tufted chest with one arm lightly draped across his midriff, but only because that seemed the only natural position.

Zoroark chuckled, a surprisingly light sound from such a dangerous-looking pokemon. The sun really did feel nice upon her skin, almost as nice as Zoroark's own soft warmth, his fur easily the most luxurious thing she had ever lay against. She breathed deep, fur tickling her nose, though he didn't really have any noticeable scent of his own, only the sweet, green smell of a meadow in spring.

Simi closed her eyes for just a moment, focusing on the familiar, if racing, thrum of her heart. She couldn't deny how comfortable Zoroark felt against her, and not just because of his fur. Despite his claws and wild origin, she felt safe, protected. Zoroark's arm curled, his wide paw falling comfortably against her back. At some point, Simi fell asleep.


	4. Together

Later that evening, Simi found herself sitting at the foot of her bed and staring into an empty bowl. Zoroark had finished his meal a long time ago and now rest peacefully, sitting up against the wall with his eyes closed. They hadn't spoken much since returning after Simi woke from her nap. Silence never seemed to bother the pokemon.

Silence usually didn't bother her either, but now it let her thoughts buzz noisily for her full attention. She should get up and wash their dishes but found herself placing the bowl off to the side instead.

"Hey, Zoroark?" Simi asked quietly, not wanting to startle him if he were asleep, and waited for the red slits on his face to reveal large metallic-blue eyes. "Do you have a family waiting for you?" Zoroark peered at her curiously, head tilted.

"No," he said after a moment. Simi waited for him to continue, but he didn't.

"Are there others like you?" she asked.

Zoroark shrugged. "I have met few of my kind near here. We are not easy to find. Most packs do not welcome outsiders."

His glaring omission hung in the following lull, but Zoroark didn't offer further details, and she decided not to press him.

"When you're better," Simi carefully avoided an if, "I hope you come back to visit. I never met another pokemon before. I-" Her mind stumbled over a sudden barrage of thoughts before she awkwardly finished with, "really liked getting to meet you."

Zoroark flashed a toothy smile. "I have wanted to speak with a human for a long time. Humans are dangerous. We always hid, but sometimes I got close enough to listen."

Simi laughed. "I don't see how I could be dangerous to a pokemon like you."

Zoroark looked at her for a time, expression unreadable, before he finally shrugged, and the conversation drew to a halt, as it usually did with him. Sometimes Simi felt like a bother, but Zoroark always replied. She doubted him duplicitous enough to fake interest for her sake.

Simi tried to keep her voice casual and offhand. "Do you ever spend time with other pokemon like we did earlier? Show off your illusions for them?"

Zoroark shook his head. "Only to fight or mate."

Simi couldn't tell how much of his response was a joke, if any. Knowing him, probably none. Had she been flirting with him this whole time? Looking back on the past few days, even before this afternoon, she had been quite affectionate towards him. Only to try to soothe a wild pokemon, of course. Of course.

"I see." Simi coughed, blushing lightly, and she collected their bowls for something to occupy herself with. She stopped halfway through the doorway to the kitchen. "I had a really nice day today, with you."

"Yes. I did too." Zoroark's eyes glittered, and for once, Simi didn't have any trouble finding the warmth in his angular features.

Simi bustled into the kitchen and cleaned up, keeping the wide grin on her face to herself. Moving about made her side itch where the waist of her dress rubbed against tender skin. Falling asleep in the middle of the afternoon left her with a bright pink sunburn up the length of her body. Hopefully the townspeople occupied her mother a few more days. Her mother likely wouldn't miss the patch of red that ran down Simi's neck, continuing below the collar of her dress, and she had no desire to try explaining that to anyone. Sunburn wasn't the only thing she didn't feel quite ready to explain to her mother though.

Tidying up didn't take long, but Simi felt weary despite her earlier nap. Zoroark had his eyes closed again when Simi returned, and she tried to make enough noise before sitting back down near his large clawed feet. She doubted anything slipped his notice.

"If any humans come by, an older woman, my mother, do you think you could do that thing you do to hide? My mother – I should probably talk to her before she sees you."

Zoroark looked away, his voice growing guarded. "I should not be here."

"No, it's not that!" Simi replied hurriedly. "But you might be a bit of a surprise." An understatement if there ever was one. Zoroark nodded and let his eyes drift closed again.

"You didn't sleep earlier, did you?" Simi asked.

Zoroark shook his head, not bothering to look. "I liked being outside again, even if I couldn't move much."

"Sorry." Simi couldn't help but blush, remembering how nice it felt with her arm around him. "But we can go out again tomorrow. I'll let you rest. Sleep well."

Zoroark grumbled in a gentle, content sounding way, and Simi rose to get ready for bed herself. She made it all the way into her mother's room, removed her dress, and used her mother's small hand mirror to examine the sunburn, carefully lifting her shift with her other hand. Uncomfortable, but it didn't look too bad. It should fade in a few days.

Simi stood before her mother's bed, the house silent, but she could no longer ignore a particular thought that had skulked around her mind since earlier in the afternoon. She wouldn't have another chance until tomorrow. A sudden thrill of excitement and apprehension made her feel more awake than shad had that morning.

Her bare feet barely made a sound on the floorboards, but a curious eye still watched for her before she turned the corner into her own room. Zoroark's eye opened fully when he noticed her in only a shift.

Simi didn't enter the room. "Um, maybe this is weird. If you don't want to, I-I don't mind but-" Simi swallowed hard, trying to steady her voice. "Do you think- Would you mind if I slept in my bed, with you, tonight?"

His head tilted in that way it did when trying to figure out human things, or at least that's the impression Simi got anyway. After a brief moment, what felt like a short eternity, Zoroark nodded. Despite imagining this moment all day, Simi hadn't really thought any further ahead. Her fists clenched nervously, but she took a deep, silent breath, forcing herself to relax, and walked towards the bed.

Simi clambered awkwardly onto the small mattress from the foot of the bed, careful not to catch any of Zoroark's fur, or his long mane, beneath her hands or knees. She wedged herself between Zoroark and the wall, against his uninjured side, and nestled herself comfortably along his lean body.

Warmth radiated from his furry chest, and Simi moved closer, draping an arm across his belly like she had earlier, and rest a cheek atop the fluffy black tuft covering his shoulder.

Fur poked into her mouth when she spoke. "Is this comfortable for you?"

Zoroark made a rumbling noise in approval. Questions bubbled up just behind Simi's lips, but she couldn't bring herself to further disturb Zoroark. The fact a wild pokemon trusted her enough to let her so close seemed unbelievable in its own right, and he just felt so soft and warm, fur caressing her bare legs and only a thin shift separating the two of them otherwise. Simi sighed, but forced herself not to think, instead listening to the quiet rhythm of Zoroark's heart and riding the soft rise and fall of his chest.

In the brief, semiconscious moment between wakefulness and sleep, Simi felt a cold, selfish part of herself hope Zoroark wouldn't leave. Couldn't.


	5. Healing

Despite a string of confusing dreams, Simi woke more comfortable than at any other point in her life that she could remember. Her hips wriggled against Zoroark's warm body, and she had a thigh halfway wrapped around his leg before she realized what she was doing, her shift having ridden scandalously up her legs at some point in the night leaving her bared to the waist. Simi froze but didn't pull away either.

Zoroark's lean chest rose and fell easily beneath her head and didn't change in response to her movements. She didn't need to look up to feel his gaze on the top of her head.

"Good morning," she mumbled, half from sleep and half from a rising embarrassment.

His voice sounded genuinely curious. "Are all mornings good for humans?"

Simi laughed. "I guess so," and hugged herself closer against his fuzzy abdomen. The two of them lay there in comfortable silence for a moment, but Simi quickly found the haze of sleep lifting from her to leave behind an eager kind of energy. Simi tried not to think too hard on it, and instead let her fingers roam across Zoroark's chest, leaving furrows in his slate gray fur.

"I'm not bothering you, am I?" she asked.

"No." Zoroark's breath fell hot across the top of Simi's head, and he used one great paw to stroke the back of her neck in return. "Humans like this?"

Simi shivered, claws tender against her delicate skin. "Mhmm," and she wriggled further onto his chest, warm and soft and gently thrumming with the beat of his heart, her knees slipping around a toned thigh. Was this desire? Love? Simi didn't want to think what either option might mean, but she couldn't deny the elated tremors swirling up from her gut. Stories described love like this. She never wanted to leave Zoroark's strong arms.

He spoke somewhat more hesitantly. "You enjoyed what I did yesterday, too." His statement wasn't quite a question, but his tone felt inquisitive.

Simi bit her lip. "I did," she said, not quite trusting herself to expand on the accuracy of his thought.

"You stopped me."

Another shiver, eager, anxious, hesitant, and more Simi couldn't begin to process in the moment. "What did I stop you from doing?" She looked up, finding Zoroark's shining blue eyes staring back. His head tilted. Pokemon probably had far more straightforward ways of going about this. It made Simi feel a little silly, but even laying half naked as she did, everything she ever learned about human propriety still guided her. To a degree.

Simi reached up, taking Zoroark's chin gently in her hand. She stretched her neck towards him while drawing his snout down to place a tender kiss on the side of his muzzle. Not like kissing a human, she imagined, but his velvet fur felt just as pleasant against her lips. The awkward position, Simi half pinned against the wall made it difficult to do more. So Simi wormed her way free, one knee sliding across Zoroark's belly to straddle him. Silky fur caressed her naked bottom, and with her knees parted like this- A shuddering breath filled Simi's lungs, fur caressing very intimate places, doing strange and wonderful things to her body. Zoroark winced, and only then did Simi realize lightly kicking his injured leg.

"I'm so sorry!" Simi almost toppled from the bed in her haste, careful not to injure him further. The bandages needed changing anyway, even though she didn't see any blood on them. It had been a stupid mistake. Days of constantly warning him and she ends up the careless one.

"I am fine." His reassurance helped, but she felt a fool.

"I-I should take a look just to be sure." Her face glowed red for more reason than one, and she hurried off to gather a few supplies. The slightly disappointed look on Zoroark's face may have been her own projection. She still had a hard time reading his angular features.

Zoroark sat cooperatively as Simi removed the bandages from his leg. Far fewer of the cloth wrappings stuck, and while dried gore matted his fur, that didn't cause the difficulty in finding his wounds. Fresh scars covered his calf, bright pink compared to his naturally gray hide, but even the places she hadn't managed to stitch two shreds of skin together didn't show any obvious sign of an open cut.

Simi prodded gently at a few of the stitched locations. "Does this hurt?"

Zoroark shrugged. "Sore, tight." It didn't look like he had any further need of the sutures.

"Incredible. No human could heal like that." Simi quickly fetched tweezers and a small, expensive pair of scissors meant for exactly this purpose. "This might feel weird but shouldn't hurt."

Zoroark's face wrinkled in unease, an almost comical expression on his predatory face, but he didn't complain through the slow task of removing Simi's fairly amateur stitch work. It had been dark at the time, and he an unusual patient, but her mother would have criticized her sloppy work regardless. The sutures pulled free without too much fuss, and half an hour later Zoroark didn't have a stitch in him, the steady concentration required helping to clear her mind a little.

"Stop if anything hurts, but can you move your foot?" Simi grasped his massive footpaw, one hand on his ankle, the other pressing lightly at the bottom of his blunt red claws. They twitched against her palm, each movement growing more sure, stronger – a good sign.

"My leg feels strange," Zoroark muttered.

"You healed very quickly." Simi took a breath, remembering all the blood. "But it wasn't just the skin. Your muscles were also damaged. It may take some time to get back to normal." Noticing his frown, Simi made her voice cheery. "You don't need the bandages anymore. We should get your leg washed up though. It's no lake, but there's a stream not far from here."

Zoroark's ears perked up at this. "Yes!" He started to rise, but Simi placed a gentle hand on his chest, lowering him back down.

"You might not, but I need to eat first." Simi prepared them a quick meal despite Zoroark's exasperated growl. Zoroark wolfed his portion down more in anticipation than hunger, Simi suspected, and she tried to eat as quickly as she could with his intense eyes watching her every bite. He didn't even wait for her to put the bowl down before rising, and she had to jump in to stop him.

"Easy. Just because I took the bandages off doesn't mean you're ready to go dashing off." Simi didn't like the impatient gleam in his eye, the way his muscles tensed, ready to leap for the door.

He growled softly in frustration but at least took her offered shoulder to help lift himself up. She placed a hand on his chest to keep him from bolting, and only a little bit because she liked the way his thick black fur felt between her fingers. Once on his feet, Zoroark held himself upright well enough, the knee of his injured leg a little too straight, keeping weight on his heel. He behaved until they made it to the grass in front of the porch. Zoroark took a hasty step, and Simi nearly fell herself trying to keep him upright.

"Careful-"

Zoroark snarled, low and dangerous. "I am better." The naturally sever angle of his lower leg only made his injury more pronounced, the muscles placed under increased strain compared to a human leg.

His clawed grip left Simi's shoulder, and Zoroark started with his good leg, launching himself into a run. The following step crumpled his injured leg, and he crashed to the ground, barely catching himself on all fours. He let out an anguished roar that froze Simi in place a moment before she rushed to his side.

Simi fell to her knees, placing a hand on Zoroark's hunched shoulder. "Don't! You'll make it worse-" The world lurched, and her rear struck the ground so jarringly it dazed her before she realized how easily Zoroark threw her aside. Two tiny slashes sliced neatly across the side of her dress, luckily not deep enough to draw blood.

Zoroark didn't even seem to notice her, and he threw himself into another sprint, managing one hobbled step, his gait awkward and forced, before he fell once more to his hands, visibly shaking.

Simi stumbled to her feet, about to rush to Zoroark's side when he vanished – gone, just like one of his illusions from the day before.

"Zoroark?" Her voice quavered, loud in the utter silence around her, not even a slight breeze to rustle the trees.

"Zoroark!" Ani hesitantly moved to where she saw him collapse and bent over, awkwardly flailing her arms to feel for him. Anyone walking by would have thought her crazy, but she didn't care. He couldn't be far, not with his injured leg. He didn't respond.

Simi sank to her knees, her shoulders drooping in defeat. She'd never find him if he didn't want her to, injured or not. Today shouldn't have gone like this, not after how it started, not after how well he recovered. Had she made a mistake in not telling him sooner, not cautioned him it could take time to regain his strength completely, if at all? Tears welled in her eyes, and she didn't move to stop them trickling down her cheeks.

The hard ground didn't provide any comfort to her stinging rear, sore from when Zoroark pushed her, but the pain felt distant, inconsequential. Her stomach burned like she might thrown up, but Simi merely hugged her knees close to her chest, trying not to sob. Her mother always said to never let them see you cry. You had to be strong for your patients, give them the hope to fight, the willpower to endure. Simi found herself struggling at the moment, and suddenly very, very alone in the warm early afternoon sunlight.

A less uncomfortable emptiness eventually filled her, leaving her hollow but no longer feeling too sick to move. She occasionally called out for Zoroark, softly, knowing his sensitive ears would hear her if he remained close. He didn't respond.

Their leftover bowls from breakfast remained on the floor of her room, her mind desperate for any distraction, any reason to feel less useless. She should clean those. Simi rose, her knees stiff, butt still aching. She moved mechanically, tidying the house, not really noticing or remembering what she did, but after a time things looked more orderly, like they had when her mother left.

Dried blood stained the porch from the first night. She had other distractions until now, but she fetched a bucket of water from the nearby well, some soap, and a stiff brush which had cleared away blood more than once, the bristles bleached white from use.

Simi scrubbed angrily at the worn boards until her knees hurt, her hands tight and dry from the harsh detergent. The blood sat for too long, leaving faint rusty stains that didn't quite match the faded grain of the wood, especially where it had pooled. It would take a thorough sanding to completely remove, but weather should even out the color in a month or so.

Once every bloodied inch of porch received a longer than necessary scouring, Simi put away the supplies, neat and orderly, as her mother left them, then sat on the top step, back straight until her bottom grew numb.

She tried so hard to do a good job, tried to care for Zoroark, feed and bandage him, keep him in good spirits. But she also knew she shouldn't hide the severity of his wound, knew it from the beginning yet she had anyway, because she wasn't strong like her mother. Now he could be hurt, or immobilized or-

Frustrated, angry tears stung her eyes and Simi squeezed them shut, forcing herself to stop thinking, stop feeling, and become the surgeon her mother wanted. It helped, or at least the tears stopped. If she had just told him from the beginning, gave him the right expectations instead of fawning over him like an awestruck child, he wouldn't have had to realize his injury on his own. She wouldn't have failed him. Killed him, a hateful voice whispered from somewhere in her mind.

Simi watched the dirt path that lead towards the main road, not really noticing the shadows growing longer and longer.


	6. Echoes

A thick fog hung low across the ground. Simi woke shivering and damp in the early morning haze, slumped against the porch's wooden railing. She didn't remember falling asleep outside, but she felt it now, her back protesting and her but angrily numb.

She called out "Zoroark!" without thinking, still half asleep, then waited for a time in silence, made all the more oppressive by the heavy air. Hunger complained loudly in her stomach, trying to motivate her stiff limbs to action. A tightness behind her temples urged her to keep still. She couldn't, not forever, and peering into the swirling mists wouldn't make Zoroark appear.

Standing took more effort than seemed worth it, but Simi forced herself to retreat inside, which didn't feel any warmer. The coals in the hearth had grown cold, left unattended overnight. Any child could start a fire, but rage shook her clenched fists. Angry hot tears warmed her stony cheeks. For a moment she imagined sweeping the jars of herbs from their nearby shelves, how they'd shatter, using the metal fire poker to crush the remaining shards to dust. Only the most tenuous whisper of restraint held her back from a useless, destructive fury.

When she managed to control her anger, or rather wait for exhaustion to smother it, Simi went to her room and dropped into bed. The faintest hint of blood's metallic tang clung to her sheets. She imagined Zoroark's scent, like warm fur, so subtle she couldn't really describe it, a bit earthy and pleasant. Soft, and comforting and raw and gentle and strong and exhilarating and- Simi hugged her pillow, only allowing herself to admit she loved him now that he was gone.

Simi drifted in and out of uneasy sleep until she could no longer ignore the grinding pain in her gut. She relented, spilling out of bed to make food, but only after peering out the front door to check if Zoroark returned. He hadn't.

It took longer than it should have for her half-numb fingers to spark kindling into a small flame, building it up to a crackling blaze to help drive away the chill. Simi had no real desire to eat, but she dropped a rasher of bacon into the small pot, letting it crisp before adding a simple mixture of oats and water. Maybe the scent of greasy, sizzlingmeat would entice Zoroark back. Once again she glanced outside while waiting for the water to boil.

She ate mechanically, unthinkingly, except to work herself up in hope. Simi put her empty bowl down and didn't rush to the door, and when she peered out, Zoroark didn't wait for her. She closed the door and returned to bed, slumping onto her back and staring at the wood ceiling. Mother should be home in a few days. She'd probably tell Simi to learn something from this. Those who saved lives didn't have the luxury of making the same mistake twice.

The day dragged on. Occasionally Simi poked her head outside to call for Zoroark, then returned to bed. She didn't want to be alone after knowing what it felt like to have someone next to her, arms around her. No matter how long she spent with her eyes closed, she couldn't fall asleep. Never had she done so little and felt so exhausted.

Boredom and melancholy mixed to form an emotional concrete that locked her thoughts in a useless gray lump. The feeling persisted when Simi woke the next day. A brief spark wavered in her chest in the first few moments of consciousness, as if the time spent sleeping increased the chances of finding Zoroark outside. She stood barefoot on the smooth porch steps, not having bothered to put anything on over her shift.

Sunlight warmed her pale skin, little left of the sunburn from a few days ago. Simi almost didn't bother, but without Zoroark as a precaution, her ingrained sense of modestly dragged her back inside to pull a dark green dress over her head.

She returned outside, though the hopeful wisp of waking energy guttered. Grass poked between her toes, the ground beneath cool despite the sunlight. Simi sat where she took Zoroark their first day outside together, where he made a lake for her. Only the distant familiar treeline remained now, the same as it had been since her childhood.

Even the sun in all its glorious warmth felt pitiful when compared to the comforting weight of Zoroark's body against hers. She lay back in the grass and sighed, the sun a reddish neon blur behind closed eyelids.

Simi didn't hear anything, didn't notice Zoroark until she sat up a time later. He lay next to her on his belly, chin nestled into the grass, paws placed beside his angular face as if prostrating himself, burgundy mane spread across his back. Only his metallic blue eyes moved, following Simi.

She blinked, her tiny voice lost in the gentle breeze. "Zoroark?" At first she didn't trust her eyes, not daring to believe him more than a hallucination. His velvety short haired snout felt solid and real beneath her trembling fingers. All this time pining for him and she never considered what to say if he did come back.

Tears didn't have time to slip from her eyes before Simi all but fell atop his head. She buried her face into his thick red mane and cradled his head, her body curling about him possessively. Zoroark remained still and silent. Bile crept from her stomach.

Simi sat up suddenly, ignoring her tears. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Zoroark looked away. "I'm broken." He sounded so hopeless, the words stabbing between her ribs like a knife. "You knew." The knife twisted.

Simi almost threw up. "I-" She blinked uselessly. "I thought maybe at first, but then you healed so quickly and you seemed to be getting better, your wounds closed, and I thought maybe it would all be okay and I'm sorry, Zoroark. I'm so sorry." She took a long, ragged breath. Zoroark still wouldn’t look at her.

"Please," Simi begged. "I promise everything will be okay. You'll be okay. You might-" but she trailed off. He'd never run like he once did, and she doubted anything less than a full recovery would bring him any comfort. "Tell me how to help."

Zoroark didn't answer, his brilliant blue eyes haunted and half closed. Simi lay on her back and wriggled towards him, lifting his heavy chin and pulling him onto her shoulder, head to head, cheek to fuzzy cheek. 

"I missed you." Simi stroked Zoroark's angular snout, enjoying the way his nose twitched when her fingers brushed just above his nostrils, his long slow breaths warm on her breast. His head tilted against hers.

They lay for a time, Simi closing her eyes against the sun, now almost directly overhead. The grass beneath her back felt softer, probably thanks to the damp weather yesterday, but Simi decided to attribute it to Zoroark's return. Sweet earthy scents of growing plants perfumed the air.

When her hand slowed, coming to a rest at the transition from gray fur to red mane on his forehead, Zoroark pulled away and sat up. Simi quickly followed, readying herself to pounce if he vanished, but he simply pulled his knees up, placing his arms atop them to prop up his chin in a dejected hunch.

"I can't hunt." Zoroark sounded pained to acknowledge it aloud.

Simi relaxed, somewhat. "We have plenty of food here. And I'm old enough to work on my own if things are tight. Which they aren't." She added the last bit quickly, but she had been thinking about it in the hours spent sulking. Her mother might not be as eager to house a pokemon, certainly not if she ever found out how Simi felt about him.

Zoroark growled. "Why? I offer you nothing."

Because I love you, Simi thought. Did she dare make the admission aloud? Would Zoroark even understand the concept, ever love her back? The uncertainty kept her tongue still, leaving her negative thoughts to slowly eat through her stomach lining.

Simi's voice wavered in a poor attempt at nonchalance. "I know it's probably not what you would choose, but it wouldn't be so bad to stay here, would it? With me?" She tried hard not to stare too obviously while trying to judge his reaction, holding her breath, straining for any twitch of his angular inhuman features.

Zoroark glared at his feet, his voice a low grating sound. "And do what? Wait for you to realize I'm a burden? For winter?" His shoulders slumped. "To freeze."

Her green dress didn't lend itself to ease of movement, especially while sitting. She pulled the hem up past her knees and awkwardly shuffled between Zoroark legs. He didn't look up but caught her easily as she half bowed half fell into his chest, wrapping her arms around him.

"You'll never be a burden to me." Simi tried to carry him onto his back with her momentum, but he didn't budge, which only slightly ruined the intended gesture. "I didn't save you so you could die. I'll always be here for you." Then, sheepishly, she added, "Could you lay back?"

Zoroark growled something inaudible but did as she asked. Simi squeaked when they hit the ground, and she quickly wriggled into his thick black chest fur. One set of Zoroark's claws rest atop her back, teasing her shoulder blade, but his head flopped to the side, looking away.

"I'm useless."

"Don't say that," Simi whispered, not bothering to pull her face from his fur. "You'll figure something out. We will. You have no idea how incredible pokemon like you are. Injured or not." Simi bit her lip, trying to think of something to distract him with and coming up with few options. "I know at least one girl who's very interested in you." She gently rolled her hips, nestled between his legs, in what she hoped was an alluring gesture.

Zoroark shifted to eye her. "I don't think I can give you pups."

She blushed, knowing she should have expected a blunt response. "N-No, but I've heard that – that boys usually enjoy the other part, at least humans do."

Zoroark's chest vibrated softly beneath her, more like a purr than a growl. His metallic blue eye lingered on Simi's face, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Her voice shook, the words far more forward than she was really comfortable with, but for him- "Maybe there's something I could do to make you feel better?"

Zoroark let his gaze drift back out towards the distant treeline. "Food."

That also probably should have been her first thought. Despite the slight pang of embarrassed rejection, Simi laughed, somewhat relieved. "Then let's get something to eat." If he hadn't found any food on his own, it had been the better part of two days since his last meal. She didn't ask.

Zoroark took her offered hand to help pull him up but obstinately refused to lean on her shoulder. It seemed he managed to figure out how to get around on his own, even if his awkward gait seemed more hop and fall than walking. Simi might have chuckled at the display had she not been painfully aware of the disgusted look on his face, fangs bared in a mix of determination, effort, and vicious resentment. He made it up the porch steps and into the house completely on his own.

Her mother might not be terribly impressed by the amount of meat Simi went through in the last few days, but she'd make up for it somehow. Not that it had been exorbitant either, and watching Zoroark eat with the ferocity of a true carnivore made it worthwhile. He hovered behind her as she cooked, poking his snout into anything edible she left alone for more than a few seconds, but gracefully slid out of her way when she moved about.

The onion gravy she attempted didn't quite turn out as thick as intended, but its savory scent filled the small house. Simi gave Zoroark the larger portion, and would have brought it over to the table, but he snatched the bowl from her hands and sat down right there in the kitchen, back to the wall, and dug in. She laughed, took her own bowl, and sat beside him on the floor next to the hearth, smokey and warm.

Simi spent more time watching Zoroark than eating herself. His long claws speared meat, holding it up just long enough for his fangs to tear apart and swallow mostly whole. The blood red claws on his right foot lay just inches from her small human feet.

Zoraork finished quickly, gazing longingly into his empty bowl which no longer contained so much as a smear of gravy. 

Simi offered the remainder of her food. "Here. It's yours." His claws twitched towards the bowl, but he hesitated, letting out a low bitter growl, almost too quiet to hear.

"I'm not hungry," she insisted. "Eat." Simi pressed the bowl into his paws, and he took it reluctantly at first, but after one more guilty look towards her, he obeyed, and soon Simi had two licked-clean bowls. They wouldn't take long to wash.

Simi returned to Zoroark's side. "Feel any better?" she asked.

Zoroark nodded, not quite meeting her eyes. "Thank you."

Simi glowed from his simple gratitude. She knelt beside him, cupping his cheek in her hand. "My mother and I help people. That's our job. There's no shame in getting hurt."

Zoroark said nothing, but he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes. Simi scratched his jawline just below the ear. He nearly pulled her off balance, and Simi paused to take a seat and sidle up next to him.

Zoroark also shifted, lowering himself to curl up against her leg and rest his chin atop her thigh. One of his paws held her just above the knee so she couldn't pull away, not that she would have. He looked so adorable, his warmth penetrated far deeper than that of the crackling hearth.

Simi stroked his head. "What's it like living out in the wild?"

Zoroark peered up at her, but let his eyes drift closed before answering. "Every day I proved I am better than the dead. I fought and won."

Simi shivered. "And you enjoy that?"

He growled, a savage bass rumble. "Yes." His claws twitched, digging into the soft flesh of her thigh for the briefest moment, then relaxed.

Simi twirled one of the dark gray accents jutting from Zoroark's mane about her finger then smoothed his head before doing it again. "The bed is more comfortable if you're tired."

Zoroark nodded but didn't lift his head from her leg. They remained on the floor for a while. Like this he seemed so gentle, but she couldn't get his answer from her thoughts. What would it look like to see a creature like him fight? She only had to look at the long claws curled tenderly around her leg to imagine.

Eventually Simi's back started to ache, and despite not wanting to disturb her resting warrior, she scratched his chin insistently until he looked up at her. "C'mon, it will only get harder to move if you fall asleep here."

Zoroark grumbled but rose and hobbled after her toward the bedroom. A warm red glow lit the sky outside, later into the evening than Simi realized. She'd done little besides sleep, yet she felt as exhausted as Zoroark looked.

Before Zoroark could enter the room, Simi stopped, blocking him from moving to the bed. He held to the door frame to steady himself. A blush colored her cheeks, but she bent down and slowly lift them hem of her dress up and over her head, wiggling her hips a bit unnecessarily. She placed the dress neatly atop her dresser, then removed her shift a little more awkwardly, not looking back towards Zoroark. She felt his gaze exploring her like a physical touch regardless.

Even when alone she didn't sleep completely naked, but she crawled into bed and lay down, daring a glance towards Zoroark who still stood in the doorway. His eyes roamed unashamed from her breasts to hips, curious, though she at least imagined hunger in those frosty blue eyes.

Zoroark approached, limping, and Simi bit her lip when he reached the edge of her bed, towering above her, claws and fangs and impending violence never more plain. His wide paw sank into the mattress just shy of her ribs, then he descended upon her. She didn't leave him enough room not to, and Zoroark settled atop the right half of her chest, his pleasant weight softened by silky fur.

Their bodies wriggled against each other, shifting into a comfortable position, Simi pulling one of Zoroark's powerful thighs between her legs, Zoroark snaking his long muzzle into the crook of her neck, sniffing ticklishly at her skin. Once more she could only see him as her gentle puppy, his large claws holding her shoulder fondly, gently pulling them closer together.

Zoroark licked slowly at her neck, causing Simi's breath to grow ragged, her fingers finding the slightly too-prominent ridge of his ribs. Before she could work up the courage to say anything, Zoroark drifted off to sleep, his head limp atop her shoulder where he faltered mid lick. She smiled.

"Sleep well," Simi whispered and placed a delicate kiss on the side of Zoroark's muzzle before joining him in easy sleep, warmed by the protective weight of his embrace.


	7. Truth

At some point in the night, Zoroark shifted one paw to curl around the top of Simi's bare shoulder, claws resting ever so gently at the base of her neck. His other scooped underneath her shoulder, cradling her like something precious. His cheek lay just above her breasts, snout nuzzled into the crook of her neck. Fur covered her, silky and warm, almost too warm. Almost. Closed, Zoroark's eye looked like a slim check mark written into his gray fur in blood-red ink.

Despite wanting to roll on top of him and lose herself in the thick black tuft of fur covering his chest, she couldn't bring herself to wake him for her own selfish desire. So Simi settled herself to enjoy the surreal intimacy of having a wild pokemon trust her enough to cuddled together, each slow breath he took a subtle furry caress.

The heat of Zoroark's body and the weight pinning her to the mattress ushered Simi back towards sleep's hazy fog, and she drifted between dream and reality, each wondrous in its own way. A long, pleasant time later, Zoroark twitched, a shiver running from shoulders to hips, the now familiar rhythm of his breath changing slightly. His claws tensed for just a moment, pressing into Simi's shoulder and causing her to inhale sharply, more in surprise than discomfort. Zoroark's eye snapped open, sharp blue and appearing even larger than usual so close to her own face.

Simi grinned at him and kept her voice low, reluctant to disturb such a perfect silence. "How are you feeling?"

In response, Zoroark closed his eyes and dug his snout further along her throat, pulling at her shoulders despite their bodies already entwined as closely as they could manage. The increased weight against her chest drew a happy sigh from Simi, and her fingers sought the lean definition of his flank, his ribs small graspable ripples beneath tough hide and luxurious coat.

Zoroark's tongue pressed against her throat, the gently rough texture appropriate for him. Each lick tugged at her skin before pulling away clean. It was easy to let herself fall mindlessly into his simple affection, but a small, intrusive thought flickered at the back of if all, even as his attention turned her cheeks redder than his mane, her breaths quick and shallow. Maybe pokemon didn't discuss such matters, but Simi needed to, couldn't simply surrender to pure instinct as much as a part of her wanted to.

Reluctantly, Simi stroked a hand across the top of Zoroark's snout and gently pushed him back. She couldn't hold three words together while he teased her. Zoroark didn't resist, but his head tilted in curiosity. The intensity in his gaze didn't make it any easier to speak.

Simi looked away. "Do you find me attractive?" The slight hesitation in Zoroark's response hurt, even as unreasonable as her expectation was. What had she expected, an instant profession of love? Zoroark always considered his words, clearly less familiar with human speech than she. It still stung.

After what felt an hour, likely only a handful of seconds, Zoroark replied with a simple, "Yes."

Simi waited for him to continue, but he didn't. An awkward pause grew between them, Zoroark satisfied with his answer and Simi too embarrassed to act so forward. If he were human, she never could have.

"I just thought, I mean at least – I've heard men were more insistent. And I don't know, I guess I thought pokemon-" She blushed, not wanting to insinuate something she had no reason to believe. "I thought maybe you'd want me more."

A flash of something primal lit Zoroark's eyes before he turned away, an uncomfortable droop in his shoulders.

Simi flinched. Had she been forcing herself on him this whole time, coercing him? Self-loathing wrapped around her throat, constricting. "You don't have to pretend. I'd understand if- I know I'm not like you." Simi took a deep breath, trying very hard not to lose her what little composure she grasped to. She couldn't meet his eyes and instead spoke to the wall. "I'll always be here for you, no matter how you feel about me."

"No female would be so arrogant to take me in." A low growl rumbled through Zoroark, though more to himself, his brow furrowed in concentration. "I can't be what you want."

Tears threatened her once again. "Of course you can. You already are." Simi swallowed and buried her face into Zoroark's cheek, her voice little more than a squeak, but she knew he heard. "I love you."

Zoroark wisely didn't argue. He remained quiet, but his claws tightened, dimpling her skin, clutching in gentle desperation. Simi feathered kisses across the side of his face, traveling along his angular muzzle.

The familiar room around them vanished. Her bed remained, but it now stood among a large field of tall grasses, the ceiling replaced by clear blue sky, the sun bright despite a lack of warmth, but Zoroark's body against hers more than made up for it. A large silent waterfall crashed down a cliff in the near distance, taller than any Simi had ever seen, easily fifty feet, more, launching a wave of mist that glittered in a rainbow of colors, innumerable tiny jewels dancing in the air above a small pool.

Simi gasped, laughing in delight. Her fingers searched towards the grass, finding a wall she knew existed, familiar in feel but invisible, keeping her from the beautiful illusion. For a moment, she forgot about Zoroark, caught up in his creation. He watched her.

"This is beyond incredible!" Simi cradled his face between her palms.

"It isn't real," he muttered.

"It is right now, and you made it for me. It's beautiful." Simi scratched the underside of his chin, earning her a small growl of satisfaction. It took a slight effort to pull one of Zoroark's paws from her, but she guided his touch towards her chest.

His wide paw easily cupped her breast, but his eyes didn't leave hers. Simi arched against him, trying to not feel foolish, a giddy energy willing her to act. Claws dragged along the curve of her body and curled down to her ribs. Simi whimpered in disappointment until Zoroark lowered himself to lick at her, his eager tongue causing soft flesh to quiver, and a raw, intoxicating pleasure to spread through her chest and elsewhere.

Her fingers tightened around Zoroark's lithe but powerfully toned arms, just below his shoulders. Not once had he judged or teased her, making it so easy to act reckless, ignore the slew of taboos she currently indulged, all sense of propriety forgotten. Fur tickled the insides of her thighs. She hugged her legs about one of his, wiggling her body to feel his silky coat brush across her skin and whisk away the last of her restraint, replacing it with a desire far stronger than any she'd ever felt.

Cloudy soft warmth surrounded her own thigh as it searched gently up towards Zoroark's torso, until she could feel tantalizing hints of him press against her sensitive skin. Zoroark's tongue faltered, a hungry growl deep in his chest, and he glanced up, no subtlety in his sharp eyes, causing her to blush.

Simi breathed heavily herself, lips parted. "How would a girl Zoroark show she's interested?" The words sounded silly and childish, but he so hampered her ability to think. Zoroark dropped his gaze despite the fire in his eyes, shoulders hunched.

He sounded bitter. "I would hurt you."

Simi bit her lip. She'd heard it always hurt the first time. In fact, Alice from the nearby village shared a number of rather intimate tidbits over a dubiously procured cup of brandy, eventually admitting to enjoying things more than not.

"You'd be gentle with me, wouldn't you?" Simi ran a hand up the underside of Zoroark's muzzle.

"Some things I can't control." He still wouldn't look at her face and instead glared at her shoulder. "You are strong, but you are not a pokemon."

The cryptic response didn't really explain anything, and had she been less caught up in the moment she might have asked him to explain. But the unfamiliar swirl of thought-blinding emotions and feelings and heat and pleasure filled her with a reckless bravery.

"I trust you." Her thigh pressed upwards until she could feel the swell of him.

Zoroark whined softly, clearly struggling with himself, his grip on her tight. Eventually he muttered, "We should go outside."

Simi giggled. "It's beautiful in here." She took in the picturesque expanse of grasses waving in an unfelt breeze, the politely quiet waterfall.

"You complain about cleaning sheets."

All the blood she had to spare rushed into her neck and cheeks. "O-Oh." The thought that he needed to mention such a thing sending a shiver through her. She did appreciate the forethought, far more than she currently possessed. "Should we, then?"

Zoroark licked her cheek, but she didn't mind this kind of stalling and indulged him, and herself, a few moments before the growing impatience lurking low in her belly pressed him away. Her private oasis blurred back to boring reality, the familiar dimly lit room with a simple if well made dresser and bedside table. The room felt far colder once Zoroark lift himself off her. For a brief moment he crouched low over her, a predator guarding what was his, admiring her, but he rose almost gracefully and waited at the side of the bed for her to stand.

Being so naked still made her self conscious, but she didn't mind the way Zoroark studied her, a flustering mix of curiosity and want. It felt kind of nice. Simi sidled up to him, drawing one of his arms around her shoulders. Zoroark growled in half-hearted protest.

"I know you don't need my help." Simi rubbed his belly. "I just want you close to me." That quieted him, and Zoroark even let a bit of his weight rest across her. They made their way to the door.

Simi hesitated, her hand on the latch. "You'll make sure no one can see us, right?" With Zoroark's nod, she opened the door and they stepped outside into fresh air free of hearth-fire smoke, something Zoroark's illusion couldn't emulate. Warm sunlight waited for them, though a breeze quickly pebbled Simi's bare skin, pale enough she nearly glowed in the light.

A quick scan of the path towards the road found no one in sight. Still, the thought of anyone coming across her naked, or during the indecent things she planned to let Zoroark do to her, sent a small shiver of anxiety up her spine. Simi wandered them around the rear of the house, even further from view of any possible voyeurs.

Grass tickled her ankles. "I um, don't really know how exactly- I mean I know what happens but-" Her hand shook, fingers tight around Zoroark's wrist. "Have you done this before?"

Zoroark nodded. A pang of irrational jealousy clawed at her excited thoughts, but she refused to let that bother her now, to the extent she could. Simi turned into his chest and hugged him possessively. She would make him want to stay with her, be hers. His thick silky fur smelled vaguely earthy and bestial – raw, a faint but sharp musk unique to him. She liked it.

Simi kept her face hidden in Zoroark's chest. "Then I guess maybe you could take the lead?"

Zoroark said nothing, but his claws searched along her ribs, tracing sharp lines around her back to hold her tight. Despite his injured leg he knelt smoothly enough, Simi helping steady them both. Zoroark leaned into her, his insistent weight carrying her back, the grass a strange mixture of soft and gently prickly on her bare skin.

Zoroark spoke for the first time in a while, crouched low over her. His gaze didn't quite meet hers. "Are you sure?"

Simi reached up and took his narrow muzzle between her palms, forcing his sky blue eyes to look at her. "Of course I am," her voice full of ignorant confidence. "I want to be yours. Completely."

A conflicted growl left a hard edge in his tone, restraint warring with the desire in the way his claws bit at her ribs. "I don't want you to hate me."

Simi pulled his face down, pressing her forehead to his. She kept her voice a whisper. "I'll always love you. No matter what."

An affectionate rumble vibrated his body, and he pulled back just enough to lick her cheek, then her chin, then her throat. Simi arched her neck towards his tongue, each exhalation a hot gust against her sensitive skin. This gesture seemed to embolden Zoroark, his tiny growl almost silent but he shifted from licking her to nuzzling into the crook of her neck with slightly more force than necessary, claws tightening on her shoulder.

Simi giggled, leaving a hand resting on the back of his neck. She gasped when he moved lower, teasing the soft curves of her breasts, his pointed snout poking and prodding, tongue sampling all she had to offer. A long tight breath hissed from Simi's clenched jaw, her eyes fluttering closed, head resting back onto the soft ground.

Zoroark trailed quick licks across her belly, breath tickling, making Simi squirm, her hands finding his arms to grab hold of him, touch as much of him as she possibly could. He kept trailing lower, past her navel lower. Instinctively, Simi tried to bring her knees together, but Zoroark already lay between them, his shoulders keeping her indecently exposed.

Her voice wavered, almost too nervous to form a coherent sound. "What are you-?" Simi squeaked when she found out, hips jerking in a mixture of shock and something wonderful. A large paw pulled free of her own grasping fingers to hold her hip still, claws pressing firmly into her lean tummy.

What he did very briefly seemed wrong and strange, but quickly left Simi panting, hoping he'd never stop. Muscles she didn't know existed fluttered and tensed and trembled and leapt, sending a rush of unfamiliar and overwhelming sensations through her chest, up her spine. Soon she didn't care exactly how he made her feel these things, the rather embarrassing places his textured tongue explored, the quiet whimpers he teased from her.

So when Zoroark stopped, Simi didn't notice the hesitation in the way he looked down upon her rosy cheeks, the hint of tension in the set of his lithe shoulders, the way his fur puffed up in fluffy spikes. Instead she saw her lover, his striking beauty, bold red accents on a predatory gray face, the slight gloss in his silky coat, the threat of rippling muscle running down his arms. Reflective metallic blue eyes. She wanted nothing more in the world but him.

Simi didn't speak, didn't trust herself to. Instead she grabbed Zoroark's flank and pulled him down atop her until his hips dug into the fleshy part of her thighs, leaving the two of them very, very close. Giddy emotions sparked wildly through Simi's mind, eager anticipation. She wanted to say something, remain quiet, wanted Zoroark to do hurry up and- Or simply hold her like this forever.

Simi hugged her face into Zoroark's fuzzy shoulder. "I'm yours."

And slowly, Zoroark moved, the last of his restraint breaking. His grip tightened around Simi's shoulders, quick breath hot against her neck, fur caressing across her breasts and belly and thighs, all paling in comparison to a radiating pressure, sharp and insistent, scorching, raw, inexorable, piercing.

A tight whine squeezed from Simi's chest. She squirmed uselessly beneath Zoroark, his intense grip and weight easily pinning her in place while the gentle caution of his movements grew hungry. True to his word, no amount of care or restraint could change anatomy or instinct or the nature of a pokemon. True to his word, Zoroark hurt her.

Humans in storybooks made love, maybe they did in real life too. Zoroark didn't. Zoroark took her, bred her. It wasn't quick. Simi cried out, clutched and railed at Zoroark, his soft fur tight between her straining fingers, nails biting into her palms and Zoroark's back and the crisp grass around them, in the end, pointless. She lay at the complete mercy of Zoroark's lust, more primal and honest than anything two humans expressed in one another's arms.

Simi experienced the unbridled, savage truth of him, not the human-like illusion she chose to see, but his bestial reality. It didn't diminish her love for him, didn't change her wish to remain by his side, but he was not and never would be human. She would never again forget.

Silent tears wet Simi's cheeks, her entire body too tensed in a useless attempt to cushion herself against Zoroark to more than breathe, even that a desperate struggle. It did end, eventually, Zoroark settling flaccid atop her small body, his chin resting beside her throat, claws having released their grip. Angry red lines marred her pale shoulders.

Not from pain or regret or fear or anything else Simi understood, she began to cry in earnest. Fat tears slipped along her jaw and along the curve of her neck. No one worthy of Zoroark would cry, not now. Showing her weakness like this, unable to stop the quiet half-choked sobs that barked from her chest only made it worse, driving angry embarrassed tears all the harder from her clenched shut eyes.

"Are you okay?" The concern heavy in Zoroark's gruff, weary voice comforted Simi more than she could explain.

"I'll be fine," Simi choked out between gentle sobs. "I'm sorry. I always ruin things." Words tumbled from her mouth without permission. She knew she sounded silly, probably incoherent, but that didn't still her tongue. "I just wanted you to be happy and- And enjoy being with me-" A full-bodied sob cut off her continued apologies.

Zoroark didn't reply but shifted himself to lick the hot tears from her flushed skin, his touch slow and delicate, arms moving to cradle her like he had that morning, a raging inferno quieting to a layer of warm coals and ash to bury her. But sudden tenderness couldn't burn away memory of the moment Zoroark almost took her throat in his jaws, turning away at the last moment leaving her two shallow scratches that still itched, or a dozen other flashes of not-quite-violence that lingered razor sharp on frayed nerves. Humans and pokemon weren't meant for each other, but that thought summoned a powerful, defiant love from somewhere within her. Simi clung to it, to him. Eventually she managed to cry herself out of tears.

Zoroark held her unwaveringly close, his voice a warm rumble. "Are you hurt?"

"I'll be fine." Simi hiccuped. "It was just – just more intense than I expected." She took a few more panting breaths but finally wrangled a bit of composure, wanting to look up into his large glossy eyes but afraid of breaking down again. "I never listen."

Zoroark shifted uneasily. "I shouldn't have-"

"No!" Simi softened the hard edge of her voice, surprised by her own ferocity. "Please don't regret it." Even more quietly but with just as much fervor she added, "Please don't leave."

Zoroark slipped his large paws beneath Simi's back, held her tight, and rolled both of them, leaving Simi resting atop his lithe belly and fluffy inviting chest. Simi giggled weakly. The flood of adrenaline faded, leaving her sore and tired but no longer trembling, slightly more in control of herself. Comparatively cold air chilled her sweaty back and brought uncomfortable attention to the messy state Zoroark left her in.

"Did it feel good?" Simi asked into Zoroark's shoulder, partly out of curiosity, but mostly seeking validation to ease the chaotic storm of emotion still rampaging through her mind.

"Yes." A savage hunger underlied his terse reply, leaving Simi both proud and more than a bit anxious, powerful arms tightening around her back, crushing her body into an embrace of fur and muscle. He would want her again, if not now, later. Could she?

"Pokemon do not offer themselves like you. You are so willful sometimes, yet you gave yourself to me." His tone grew distant, as if savoring memory. A primal growl grated from his throat. "You are so soft, delicate. You didn't fight."

Simi bit her lip. She had fought, a little, for all the good it did. "I'm yours. Forever." Hopefully Zoroark didn't notice the tight tremble of her voice. To be truly his, she would have to grow stronger, never as strong as Zoroark, but worthy of him. She wanted to. Would.

They lay together for a time, Zoroark holding her close, the strength in his arms comforting even now that she knew what he could do to her. However the growing chill between her legs detracted somewhat from the pleasant stupor she let herself drop into.

Simi slowly pushed off Zoroark's chest to sit straddling his hips. "I should get cleaned up. There's a stream nearby. I don't know if pokemon bathe, but you could join me." His nod brought a weary but no less honest smile to Simi's face.

It took effort to stand, ignoring all the strange aches within her, but she forced Zoroark to accept her help up and held his arm around her shoulder. She clung tight, not wanting to feel alone right now, the two of them slowly hobbling away from the house and into the distant treeline.

The stream wasn't large, a slow meandering flow only a two or three feet deep at best. Simi had often played in the cool water during the summer months as a child. Zoroark stopped at the bank but Simi continued, a resolute set to her jaws. The icy water stung, bringing an unwilling gasp from her tensed chest, but she continued. Zoroark chuckled. Better to get it over with quickly, and her skin grew numb almost as soon as it dipped below the surface. She didn't lower herself in much past her navel, already considering getting out.

Simi tried to smile but only managed a grimace. "Coming in?"

He eyed the water warily, but once decided, he stepped into the stream without hesitation, lips drawing back into a silent rictus but otherwise he didn't react to the cold. His fur drifted lazily beneath the surface, the tip of his long red mane pulling downstream in the gentle current then back towards his body. Simi went to him, all but leaping into his warm chest, hugging him tight, shivering.

Cold crept up her torso, her submerged legs starting to ache with the chill, and she reluctantly released Zoroark to unceremoniously scrub herself, barely feeling her own fingers against her skin. Luckily it didn't take long to feel a semblance of clean, though whether or not it came from the numbing cold Simi didn't really care.

A strong desire to hurry from the stream's freezing waters pulled at Simi, but Zoroark had simply stood, watching her. She pressed herself close once again for warmth, but also to hide her face in his fur. She thought of his large claws.

"Did you want me to help?" Simi asked and let her hands sink into the thick wavy bed of fur along his hips, soft gray fur both nearly intangible and clingy at the same time. Had the water been warmer, she would have loved to feel the thicker tuft of his chest beneath the surface. Instead, for both of their sake, she didn't tease – much.

Her fingers massaged along the inner curl of his thighs. Zoroark growled softly, his hands wrapping around her shoulders to pull Simi close. Unable to see, her face lost amongst bushy black fur, she felt delicately at him, exploring the unfamiliar subtleties she hadn't noticed earlier.

A hot stab of apprehension cut through the chill, enjoying the way his claws twitched against her back, afraid of him enjoying her touch too much. That weakness, that she should deny him something they both wanted, threatened to send tears down her cheeks.

Simi's voice trembled, only partly from the cold. "I want to be better. I want to be strong, like you."

"You are already strong." The surety in his steady voice warmed Simi somewhat, as if he actually believed what he said.

"Only because I'm stupid." Simi couldn't fully keep the bitterness from her voice. "Even now I'm a coward. I want to deserve you."

The approval in Zoroark's eyes filled Simi with more pride than any praise her mother ever gave. Zoroark took her by the flank and guided her up to the grassy section of the riverbank. Water streamed from them, Zoroark's fur in particular, and while his damp coat looked a little silly, it also clung to reveal every stunning line of chiseled muscle.

Simi plopped onto her butt, let Zoroark press her to her back, body numb, half from the icy water, skin prickling and taut, and half from her mind retreating. Despite her promise of strength, fear left her frozen, eyes wide. Zoroark crouched low over her, unrestrained lust burning bright blue in his eyes.

A quick half laugh, half snarl ripped from Zoroark's chest. "You are more than a worthy mate." His claws scarped along her ribs, down towards her hips. "You are the only reason I live. Embrace that hunger. I will do anything I can for you, Simi."

A hysterical breathy giggle hissed between her teeth. She couldn't remember him saying her name before. A seemingly small thing compared to the imminent violence tensing his muscles, but his words resonated through her mind regardless. Her own body clenched, a desperate, unvoiced plea. But she had no way to resist him. She wouldn't ask.

Zoroark lowered himself onto her, but not like she expected. His snout tickled down between her breasts, paused to lap little droplets of water from her pebbled skin, and finally rest between her tensed thighs in a position that, despite everything that happened today, still left her feeling vulnerable and more than a little self-conscious.

His tongue pressed to flesh still hot despite the chill of the water, and once he began, relief mixed with unadulterated pleasure, fire flaring to a heated twister in Simi's belly, squeezing her insides into all manner of wonderful knots and flutters. No part of her resisted him in this. He didn't stop, not until quite some time later when Simi begged for an entirely different reason, overwhelmed in a way that didn't at all hurt.


	8. Return

Starlight twinkled in the cloudless sky above. The sun's descent below the horizon hadn't left it any colder that Simi could tell, not that she paid much attention while laying in the grass next to Zoroark. Her arms wrapped around on of Zoroark's, hugging his powerful arm to her chest, ankles pulled up near her butt, his claws curled around the inside of one of her soft thighs in a pleasantly intimate touch while her other leg sandwiched his paw in place. She had wriggled herself slightly underneath his shoulder.

In the dark air above them, ribbons of every color light Simi could think of zipped around. Vibrant blues and reds and greens, twisting this way and that, curling into and around each other, leaving neon trails in the black. Occasionally Zoroark would make one of the lights dive towards Simi's face, and though she knew the illusion couldn't touch her, she couldn't help but flinch away, laughing and grasping Zoroark even tighter. Despite the impossible display, Simi eventually found herself more interested in Zoroark's thick tufted shoulder, her cheek pressing into its pillowy warmth, black fur obscuring her view. 

Neither of them had spoken in some time, and Simi felt hesitant to break the silence, her voice low in the quiet evening calm. "Thank you for everything today. I know I'm probably not the girl you wanted." That wasn't quite what she intended to say, but her mouth felt the need to try and explain some of what roiled within her, alien as it was. "Stay with me. Please?"

A moment of silence passed, then Zoroark shifted gracefully to lay lightly atop Simi. Moonlight only let her see the severe outline of his features blotting out the stars behind, but she felt his sharp eyes on her face. His silken furred forehead, warm and soft, lowered to hers.

His low voice nearly purred. "You are more than I will ever deserve. I will be by your side until you command me to leave or I am dead."

Simi giggled nervously at the morbid oath. Her fingers lightly traced his angular muzzle. "Then I order you to live a long, long time, understand?"

Zoroark nodded, keeping his forehead in contact with hers. They lay there a moment before Zoroark's claws wormed underneath her back, giving Simi a brief moment to press up against him before they rolled, Simi ending up atop Zoroark's fluffy chest, strong arms encompassing her back, pulling her closer.

A happy sigh blew fur away from her face, fragrant air mixing with the heat of her breath and Zoroark's own ethereal scent. "I love you," she murmured, closing her eyes and letting Zoroark cradle her to sleep beneath the stars.

\---

Simi woke to the gentle rise and fall of Zoroark's broad fuzzy chest, sunlight warm on her bare shoulders, still curled atop him. Nothing could have improved waking up like this, unless maybe Zoroark could have also cooked breakfast while she slept on him. The silly thought brought a lazy smile to Simi's face and she nuzzled into the thick fur around his neck.

They had slept at the bottom of a small incline only a few paces away from the treeline, a mostly sheltered little area that didn't have a good view of the road. Simi still hoped Zoroark's illusion hid them while they slept. An indecisive breeze, gusting then growing still, rustled the plump green leaves covering the nearby trees.

Simi slid from atop Zoroark, careful not to catch his mane beneath her, and lay along his lithe body. Her fingers searched along his abdomen, happily exploring his hard muscle and scratching at his thick hide, enjoying the way his fur felt against her skin. After yesterday, she felt like she belonged with him. She wanted mornings like this for the rest of her life.

Even her gentle petting eventually woke Zoroark, his entire body shivering, fur fluffing up for a moment before settling neatly along his toned body. He turned a predatory grin on her and leaned in to sniff at her cheek before rolling over, his gentle weight pinning her to the grass. The slightest thrill of apprehension surged through her, but Zoroark's clingy tongue danced along her throat, and she eagerly offered herself up.

Wrapped in warmth and fur and affection, it became easy to forget the rough parts of the last few days. Simi wriggled beneath Zoroark, her hands roaming across ever fuzzy inch of him she could reach to enjoy the feel of his body, the springy tension in his muscles. Her Zoroark.

Zoroark's stomach growled, the vibration felt against Simi's chest, making her giggle. Despite not wanting to, she took hold of Zoroark's head fondly between her palms, fingers wrapping around his pointed ears and drew him away from her shoulder.

Simi breathed more heavily than laying in the grass should account for, a soft blush rising up into her cheeks. "We should probably get breakfast, I think." One hand stroked Zoroark's head until her fingers got tangled in his long mane.

Zoroark rumbled in assent but lingered atop Simi until she leaned up and placed a kiss on the tip of his snout. They helped each other up, Zoroark's leg still weak though he hid it well, and the two of them set off towards the house.

The freedom of not wearing anything had quickly grown on Simi, and she didn't bother to get dressed, instead giving the crackling hearth a wary respect. She made a quick meal that the two of them ate mostly in silence, both eager to return outside, which they did, Simi leaving the empty dishes unwashed on the counter.

The two of them barely made it off the porch, Zoroark finding the thickest patch of grass near the house and pulling Simi down the ground atop him. She laughed, falling softly atop his chest and instantly sinking into a waiting embrace. Breakfast had sapped some of the energy from the both of them, and Simi sighed, settling into Zoroark's thick black fur.

"Will you be happy here?" Simi tried to keep her tone offhand, but her fingers found a tight grip on Zoroark's arm. "I know it's kind of uneventful, but we always need to go out into the forest to gather herbs, and I'm sure we could find other things to do." She sighed. "You aren't trapped here. You don't have to stay." The admission physically hurt her to say it.

Zoroark's snout nuzzled into her hair. "Are you unhappy?"

Simi stammered. "W-What? Of course not!"

"Then why worry about it now?" Zoroark's tongue found the back of her shoulder.

Simi shivered, letting herself be easily distracted. "You'll tell me if you aren't?"

Slowly, Zoroark's weight shifted to roll himself atop Simi, pressing her back to the grass while Zoroark's snout dipped towards her chest. Quick, targeted licks quickly ended Simi's half of the conversation, her mind growing pleasantly blank. If he so enjoyed her body, then she could at least allow him this much. He was very convincing. Her fingers curled into his mane, encouraging him towards the peak of her breast.

It felt a lazy pleasure at first, but a gentle burn in her belly grew to something impossible to not fixate upon. A restlessness took hold on her limbs, causing her to squirm, press herself to Zoroark, hold and entwine herself in his strong arms, his leg between hers. Desire placed her thoughts in confusing opposition. She could feel the hunger in the way Zoroark's claws wrapped her shoulder, ribs, mirrored by her own grip, the searching movement of her leg against his body.

A soft whimper escaped her lips, restraint waning despite herself. Zoroark should be able to enjoy her, return the pleasure he so willing offered. Simi's leg rubbed between his, too forward to later ask him to stop if he decided-

Zoroark sat up quickly, turning away from Simi, leaving her panting on the grass, and she blinked up at the sky a moment, half dazed before propping herself up. Her eyes flicked towards Zoroark's hips in curiosity.

A low growl rumbled from Zoroark. "There is a human approaching."

The words took a moment to sink in but made the world lurch when they did. "They can't see us can they?" Simi squinted towards the road but couldn't pick out movement against the treeline.

Zoroark shook his head. "I think it's a female. There is just one."

Simi felt concussed, her thoughts struggling to make the transition to being useful. With everything that happened, Simi hadn't even thought of her mother in the last two days, but the timing made sense. Few others ever paid them a visit.

Then Simi remembered how very naked she was, laying with Zoroark still half atop her. "I-I have to get dressed!" Simi scrambled to her feet. "Also, maybe you should stay out of sight, at least until I have a chance to explain things. You'll probably be a bit of a surprise."

The dubious look in Zoroark's eyes gave her a moment of pause. What if he left again, permanently? But Simi didn't have time. She bent down and placed a kiss on the bridge of his snout.

"Don't worry, she'll understand." Her words sounded more confident than she felt. Simi raced into the house, leaving Zoroark sitting in the grass, and into her room, hurriedly pulling out the first dress her fingers touched, skipping putting on a shift entirely.

Her fingers trembled doing up the small mother of pearl buttons, but she managed and scampered into her mother's room to view herself in the mirror. Wrinkles gave the dress and untidy, unworn appearance, but she didn't have time fix that. A bit of plant clung to her frazzled hair, and Simi snatched up a brush from the bedside table and hastily worked through a few tangles, for once blessing her short hair. Hopefully the rosy blush in her cheeks faded before she had to face her mother.

After settling her hair and giving the dress a bit of smoothing with her hands, Simi looked merely unkempt instead of ragged. It would have to do, as a quick glance out the front window indeed showed Simi's mother slowly making her way down the front path.

Simi took a deep breath. She should have prepared something to say beforehand, panic only managing to mask where her mind had been a few minutes before, not honing it back to sharpness. Forcing a smile onto her face, Simi stepped out onto the porch to wait, the two of them exchanging a pleasant wave.

Her mother's slow pace gave Simi plenty of time to grow anxious, nearly chewing the corner of her lip bloody. Part of her wanted to run out and meet her mother on the path, if only to get it over with. Instead she gripped the wooden railing and waited.

"Simmone, everything is well?" Heavy bags underlined her mother's observant gaze, quickly taking in Simi's disheveled appearance, but she didn't comment on it.

Simi bowed her head slightly. "Yes, Mother. Was everything okay in town?"

Her mother waved a dismissive hand. "Phlegm and fever. Nothing dangerous with the right care but it spread remarkably." She sighed, a true weariness in the long breath. "I should have returned days ago, but I caught it myself and didn't want to bring it back with me."

"Oh, no! I hope it wasn't bad. Are you feeling better?" Simi only now noticed how her mother's pack dragged slightly at the shoulder, marring her mother's usually perfect posture, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes more pronounced.

Despite the familiar utilitarian sharpness of her mother's tone, a hint of fatigue not from the rigors of travel softened her words. "Yes, yes of course. It would be nice to finally sit down though."

Simi blushed and scurried to hold the door open.

A disapproving glance over the multiple unwashed dishes pursed her mother's lips, and she slipped the pack from her shoulders to place neatly beneath the herb rack. "You kept busy while I was gone?" It wasn't quite an accusation.

Only sunlight entering through the windows lit the room, leaving long shadows across the floor. Simi hovered near the door, out of the light, keeping her hands clasped before her to stop them from trembling.

"Well." Simi took a deep breath. "We had a patient with a pretty bad leg injury come in and I didn't know what else to do but try to fix it and do what I could-" She forced her mouth to stop making noise for a moment, and also breathe.

A look of concern flashed across her mother's eyes, though whether for Simi or the patient she couldn't tell. Heat rushed up from Simi's chest. The hesitation probably made her mother think she killed someone.

"T-They're fine," Simi stammered out quickly. "It's just that it was a pokemon." A sideways glance to judge her mother's reaction made Simi flinch.

Her mother's lips curved down, eyes narrowing. "A pokemon," she said flatly, her tone guarded as if expecting this to be some kind of prank. "What kind of pokemon? Something small I assume?" Her mother's look darkened at Simi's silence.

Simi directed her words at the floor in a small voice. "About my size." And before her mother could protest Simi pushed onward. "He was injured. I couldn't just let him die."

Her mother hissed, voice low but sharp as a scalpel. "Of course you can! Pokemon die all the time. It could have killed you!"

Simi felt very small. "You've never turned away anyone-"

"Gods above, Simi! It's a pokemon, not a person." Her mother advanced, taking Simi by the arm in a grip that knew how to wield a bone saw. "You remember what happened to Henri's boy? The beast didn't even kill him before eating half his leg. His father said he lived almost an hour after they scared the creature off. It took longer than that just to come here."

The grip on Simi's arm hurt, and she wilted, drawing in on herself and keeping her voice quiet. "Zoroark wouldn't hurt me. Or anyone else." She added the last part quickly as fingertips bit at her bicep.

"And what if it gets hungry? Gods Simi, you haven't been feeding it have you?" Her mother shook Simi by the arm when she didn't reply.

Simi tried to blink away the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "His leg still needs to heal. He'd starve if I just left him."

"The beast is still here? Simi!" Her mother released her gasp of Simi's arm and turned away. A long, angry exhalation hissed from her mother. "What if someone needed my help? How could I tell them they're safe here? We're not safe here with some wild monster waiting for scraps at the doorstep!"

"He's not dangerous-"

Her mother whirled, a glare silencing Simi. "Not dangerous? What has gotten into you? What could be more dangerous than a wild pokemon lurking where we live? It could kill both of us on a whim."

"Mother, I-"

"This isn't a discussion! I don't have the energy to deal with this right now. You're to stay in your room until I figure out what to do about this. We'll keep the door barred for all the good that will do. You are forbidden from feeding the beast, do you understand me? I want the creature gone. We can wait it out assuming it doesn't break in to eat us."

Defiance welled up through the sick feeling in Simi's gut. Nothing, not even her mother, would make her abandon Zoroark. Not after the promises she silently made to both herself and to him. Simi finally met her mother's gaze fully, but the words ready to argue her point died on her tongue, unable to push past the withering look on her mother's face.

"Go to your room." Her mother stalked to her own bedroom without another word.

A useless feeling twisted within Simi, hot and sickening. She wiped a tear on her shoulder, her hands aching from how hard she squeezed them together in front of her. It took a few minutes before she could even move, but when she did, she defied her mother. Simi threw back the bolt on the door and left, slamming the door shut behind her and cutting off the beginning of a livid protest.

Once outside, Simi ran. She had no destination other than to be away from her mother, her home, and didn't want Zoroark to see her right now either, couldn’t face him. Tall grass lapped playfully at her ankles, but she barely noticed the pleasant afternoon though increasingly blurred vision.

Simi half stumbled down a small hill and collapsed at the bottom, sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, the grasses nearly up to her shoulders gently brushed at her back. Throughout her entire life, Simi's mother had known everything, been right about everything. Simi had no reason to question, but today that illusion shattered.

Wild pokemon didn't have the best reputation, but almost no one besides the nobility ever got the chance to interact with one. To so callously expect her to let anyone, human or pokemon, die when she could help made her rethink every time her mother had ever acted cold or distant, more often than Simi realized. She never had a reason to question her mother's unwillingness to yield either, never considered her mother would be wrong about anything, but she hadn't even hear her pleas that Zoroark wasn't some mindless beast.

Anger crept through Simi, little tendrils of burning tension that willed her to lash out at something, anything. Instead, she sat there in the grass, impotent.

Simi didn't know how much time passed when a cloud of pastel fiery smoke turned into Zoroark's charcoal and red fur. He sat within arms reach of her, his head tilted to inconspicuously watch her with one of his gleaming blue eyes.

His voice rumbled softly but sharp as any of his large fangs. "I should leave."

Simi hadn't jumped at his sudden appearance, but at his words, she nearly lunged at him, grabbing his wrist in a grip as ruthless as her mother's, but a different kind of ferocity.

"No!" She almost snarled the word at him. "Do you remember what you promised me this morning?"

Zoroark brought the full weight of his predatory gaze onto her. "I only make things more difficult for you."

"Maybe." Simi drew closer, letting her lips touch the short hair of his muzzle, tickling her as she spoke. "But it's worth it, the other things you do for me, what you are to me."

Zoroark's voice grated like stone grinding on stone. "Have you ever had to struggle? Kill for a meal?"

The question took Simi so off guard she almost forgot the anger waiting to boil over in her chest. Her mother had always provided a comfortable life for the two of them, not that things had always been easy.

"I don't care," Simi snapped, cheeks flush with a mix of anger and embarrassment. She shifted to place her hands on Zoroark's shoulders and use her weight to shove him backwards, which he allowed rather than her effort accomplish anything. "No one is going to take you from me. Not even you."

The green dress pulled restrictively around her knees, making it awkward to straddle his warm belly and catalyzing the rage lurking within her, waiting for the chance to explode outward. Fresh tears warmed her cheeks.

"If my mother won't accept you, then I don't need her. I don't need any of this. Just you." Her fingers sank into the thick black fur at Zoroark's chest in a grip that tried to hurt him, tried to spread her anger. "I thought you wanted challenge. A few days getting hand fed by a human and you've gone soft?"

A dangerous growl rumbled through Zoroark's chest. The strength his lean muscles contained still surprised Simi. She barely registered the dizzying blur of color before her back slammed against the ground, thick grass cushioning her somewhat, but the force of it still drove most of the air from her lungs.

A heavy paw crushed her chest, Zoroark's brilliant fangs bared mere inches from her face, hot breath matching the heat of her own emotions. Then he relented, pulling back and looking away.

His voice softened. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize." Her voice wavered, adrenaline and shock leaving her entire body trembling, but she managed to take hold of his narrow snout, forcing his eyes back to hers, enjoying the rush of fear and excitement that his predatory face sent through her. "Right now, I want to hurt."

The two of them stared at each other, still aside from Simi's heaving breaths. Zoroark nearly panted as well. To emphasize her meaning, Simi let her hand fall away from Zoroark's muzzle and tried to relax beneath him, letting her head tilt slightly to more obviously expose her neck, one hand lightly touching his wrist, pulling his paw against her, not away.

It seemed to get her point across. Blood-red claws scratched gently at her neck, slipping beneath the high collar of her dress. Simi whimpered, nodded eagerly at the look in Zoroark's eye, hungrily searching for permission. His long claws easily tore open the front of her dress in one swift slash, the motion precise, leaving her pale skin untouched even where the garment hugged her body.

Simi didn't mourn the needless waste of the dress, didn't have time to even consider it before Zoroark buried his snout in her throat, tongue rough and frantic against her sensitive skin. A heedless moan played from her lips, one hand finding the back of Zoroark's head to hold him close. It hadn't been long to miss, but she basked in the feel of his fur on her bare skin, even if the tattered remains of her dress still clung to her shoulders. When Zoroark pulled away after thoroughly attending her neck, Simi caught his chin from traveling lower.

Heat burned in her cheeks, but after everything today, only the emotion-fueled tempest remained in her. "I know you held back last time. I want to know what it would be like if I were one of your kind." The paw on her breast twitched, sinking claws into plush flesh.

Saliva glistened on his bared fangs, the short fur along the bridge of his snout twitching, hungry. "I can't-"

"I wasn't asking." Simi wrapped her fingers firmly around Zoroark's snout, silencing him. "You're right. I haven't suffered. I'm a weak, sheltered human. You can make me what you want. Make me your mate."

Her words visibly battered Zoroark's tenuous restraint. His claws scraped her neck, then dragged her up to her knees by the torn collar of her dress. She followed as best she could, letting Zoroark tear the ruined garment off and toss it aside, leaving her completely bare. With that out of the way Simi started to lower herself back to the ground, but a paw caught her, instead guiding her forward onto hands and knees.

The position brought remembered embarrassment to her cheeks at feeling so vulnerable, not able to see Zoroark. Her thin arms trembled, fingers curling into the thick grass. A moment later, Zoroark's wide chest fell across her shoulders, his lean belly sliding silkily along her rump until she nestled against his hips, desire plain.

One powerful arm wrapped around her belly, his other ran across her chest, curling around her shoulder to hug her hard enough Simi struggled to breathe. Fear fluttered within her, but it felt so inconsequential with Zoroark wrapped protectively around her, even if he were also the source of her anxiety, the one about to hurt her.

His voice, more growl than words, rumbled almost too softly to hear, but his lips nearly pressed against Simi's ear. "I have never wanted anything more than you. To call you mine."

Simi whimpered, too much sensory input for her already overwhelmed mind to process. "I am yours." Her elbows quivered, supporting both of their weight, not allowing her to hug or touch Zoroark in return how she would have liked, wouldn't be able to slow him. Her palms instead braced herself in the springy grass where she looked. A hint of red accented gray in the corner of her vision was all she could see of Zoroark. He nuzzled her cheek affectionately despite the wild possession he wrapped her in.

After the first small cry ripped from her, Simi didn't make a sound.


End file.
